Her Secret
by ThievesOverBullies
Summary: A/U-Regina has a secret, but how long can she keep it?
1. Chapter 1

**(A/N-Thanks to Lynn for beta reading this! I hope you enjoy this.)**

 _ ***No disclaimer needed as I helped create Outlaw Queen, not Adam or Eddie per the COWARDLY ADAM!***_

Robin Locksley was anxious for this evening at his father's house to be over with, he was called earlier today by his father requesting his presence at his home tonight. He just wanted to get this over with so he could go see his girlfriend of over a year, Regina Mills. Her room mates Tink and Red were gone for the weekend and he had just gotten back from Los Angeles and just wanted to see Regina.

He couldn't help but smile as he thought of her, he had met her one night in a pub. He had been performing with a some friends at the club that night. He had seen her on the dance floor and it was as if he had been struck by lightning. He had even thought he had saw her with her gaze locked on the stage, on him in particular. He had wasted no time and made his way over to where her and a group of women had made their way to the bar, as soon as the band had taken a break.

"Can I buy you a drink?" Robin had asked as he had walked up to her.

She turned her head and looked at him, with a small smile on her face,"If you want to."

Robin had signaled to the bartender for a drink for them both, with a glass of the finest wine they had. Robin had watched as she watched it being poured, saw the way she slightly twirled the glass and then inhaled the fragrance of the wine. Then finally, she had taken a small sip, letting the flavors linger in her mouth, before she eventually swallowed.

"Delicious," she murmured.

"I agree," Robin said.

Regina smiled as she said,"You haven't tasted yours yet."

"I wasn't talking about the wine," Robin said with a smile on his face. "I'm Robin, Robin Locksley."

Regina chuckled at his reply,"I'm Regina. So how long have you been playing here?"

"Off and on for a few years now," Robin answered.

"Is this your only job?" Regina asked.

"No, I also have a full time day time job," Robin answered. "What do you do, milady?"

"I'm a school teacher," Regina answered.

"What grade do you teach?" Robin asked.

"First grade, I love my kids so much and miss them when the summer lets out," Regina answered.

"I can imagine you become attached very quickly to them," Robin commented.

"I love being around children, they tiny faces as they learn new things just proves that I'm right where I need to be," Regina said.

"How long have you been teaching?" Robin asked.

"Just over a year, still paying back my college loans," Regina said as Robin smiled at her.

Just then the drummer came up and put his hand on Robin's back,"If you're done flirting, we could use you back on the stage."

Robin nodded and smiled and turned back to Regina,"I have to go, but I hope you stick around."

"We'll see," Regina answered.

"Can I have your number?" Robin asked brazenly.

Regina smiled as she said,"No," as she turned back to her friends.

Robin had been rejected a few times in his twenty six years, but for some reason this one had affected him more. There was nothing he could do but leave her be and go back to the stage. He performed a few more songs and watched her often at the bar, chatting with her friends, an the occasional male who would stop by, obviously flirting with her.

An hour later it was last call and they had just finished their last song, Robin quickly exited the stage and went to where he had last seen her at the bar, but there was no sign of her.

"Damn," he said.

"Now don't go be acting like that, this should cheer you up," the bartender said with a smile as he handed Robin a drink. An hour later, he arrived at his apartment. His thoughts has been consumed by the meeting he had with Regina.

He went to the refrigerator and grabbed himself a beer, he sat down and heard his phone signal he had a text message, he grabbed his phone and saw a message from a number he didn't know...

 **Thank you for the drink earlier**

Robin smiled as he realized the message was from Regina, he quickly typed a reply.

 **You are more than welcome. How did you get my number?**

A few seconds later he got his answer.

 **From the bartender**

Robin smiled at her boldness in getting his number. That very night he had asked her to meet him for a drink the next day, she had accepted and a year later they were still dating, very much in love with the other. So much so that Robin was thinking of asking Regina a very important question very soon.

Now here he was, at his father's house, well his father and his new step mother of a month, Zelena. Robin couldn't stand the woman as he knew that she had only married his father, Ronald Locksley for his money. Ronald had made his millions in the stock market along with his other business.

Robin had his own money, as he'd become a multi millionaire in his own right, courtesy of the internet at first, as student at university having played poker online, and then had had moved on to trading on financial markets. Essentially another form of gambling, but one that made better use of his brilliant mind. He'd set up up his own company, Lucky Arrow Investments, and never looked back.

At his father's request he had agreed to join the family firm while keeping his own business, and had soon virtually taken over the running of the Locksley Corporation, which had for decades specialized in hotels as well as other areas of leisure industry. The company was now incredibly successful, but Robin's relationship with his father, always strained, had become increasingly bad.

Mainly thanks to Zelena.

Robin had eventually told Regina what he really did, and it did not seem to influence her at all. In the time they had been together she had never hinted at commitment, never asked him for anything, and he was pretty sure she had no hidden agenda. She had made no attempts to try to trap him, his mind was at peace.

He had nothing to worry about...

Meanwhile, Regina, turned off the shower and stepped out of the cubicle. It was near six in the evening, and she was glad that she had rested this day in preparation for Robin coming to see her later.

Her stomach fluttered at the thought...

She glanced at her reflection in the mirrored wall as she reached for a bath sheet from the towel rail to wrap around her slender frame. Slender for how much longer? she wondered, with a growing sense of elation tinged with slight worry.

She had yet to tell her boyfriend Robin she was pregnant...

Robin Locksley was a successful financier, and also the power behind the throne of Locksley Corporation. Regina had suspected from the beginning that he was wealthy, simply by his supremely confident attitude, which was why at first she had been way of him. He'd seemed so far out of her league, but now she was hopelessly in love for the first time in her life. Her flatmate Red had told her the full extent of his mind boggling wealth.

Robin had spent many a night here at her apartment, seemed to get along with her friends. And despite Robin's wealth they were just like any other couple in love, she told herself. They occasionally went out to dinner, or a film, and after their relationship had become intimate he'd often stayed overnight, if pressure of work allowed, sometimes more than one night. Robin had left a few items of clothing here over the year, but he did not live here. He traveled a lot, as she knew as she had laid there many a night with her longing heart for him.

Regina knew that Robin was a workaholic and split his time between Los Angeles and New York, she also knew he had a younger sister, who was married with two young girls whom he adored, so he obviously liked children a positive sign, surely. He would want their baby just as much as she did, she was convinced...

Robin walked into his father's house and headed for his study, upon walking in he found his step mother waiting there, wearing only a small robe.

"Robin! How good to see you!" Zelena said as she walked up to him and put her hands on his chest and tried to kiss the side of his cheek, but he moved his head out of her reach.

"Where is my father?" Robin asked as he moved her hands from him.

"Oh, he should be home any moment," Zelena said,"Won't you have a drink?"

"No," Robin said as he watched Zelena. "Don't you have clothes to buy or something?"

"Oh, my darling Robin, why are you always so mean to me?" Zelena asked.

"Because I know you for what you are," Robin answered.

"And that is?" Zelena asked.

"A gold digger," Robin answered truthfully.

"You are very wrong about me, I love your father," Zelena said.

"You love my father's money," Robin said.

"Just like your little girlfriend loves your money?" Zelena asked.

"Keep Regina's name out of your mouth," Robin said, his anger increasing at her accusations about Regina.

"Oh, did I hit a nerve?" Zelena asked. "Is she not asking for jewels and your credit card?"

"Not one more word about Regina, Zelena," Robin warned.

"I almost envy her," Zelena said as her eyes went over Robin's form,"in more ways than one."

"Because she has a heart and you don't?" Robin asked.

"Because she is set up quite nicely, well possibly if things go right for her," Zelena said,"after your grandfather had changed his will right before he died a month ago."

"What are you talking about?" Robin asked.

"Oh you don't know?" Zelena asked with a laugh. "You see, your grandfather stated that his first great grandson would inherit the bulk of Locksley Corporation."

"You're lying," Robin said. He couldn't see his grandfather doing this, not to his sister with his two nieces that he loved to bits.

"Am I?" Zelena asked with mocking laughter. "So you see, if your slut happens to get herself pregnant and has a son, she will be set for life."

"But don't worry, dear Robin," Zelena continued,"Maybe she'll get another man to get her pregnant, maybe this one?"

Robin watched as Zelena handed him a newspaper, in it was an art gallery opening by Jefferson Hatter and beside him was his Regina.

 _His Regina!_

The door of the study opened up and in walked his father. "What's going on?" his father asked.

"Is what she said true? Did Grandfather put a stipulation in his will about having a great grandson inherit it all?" Robin asked.

"Where did you hear this?" Ronald asked, then looked at his wife who just shrugged her shoulders at him,"Never mind, Robin my lawyers are attempting to sort through all this."

"You do that," Robin said as he walked out of the study.

"Robin! Don't leave!" Ronald yelled to his son who was out of the house in seconds and heading to where he could relax, with Regina.

Regina had just finished getting dressed and was about to go to the kitchen, when the doorbell sounded. She was in the process of answering it, when a wave of nausea hit her and she raced to the bathroom. She lost her dinner, along with her lunch it seemed, maybe even her breakfast from earlier.

Slowly, she straightened, and after flushing the toliet she turned to splash her face with cool water and wash her mouth out. Maybe if she just went to lie still, she would feel better.

"Regina?"

Regina turned around to see Robin standing there in the doorway of the bathroom, and from the look on his face, he had unfortunately witnessed some of her sickness. She knew that he was waiting on an answer, and she would have to tell him the truth.

"I'm pregnant," she said. She waited for his reaction, and saw his look turn to a cold hard stranger. She shivered, as a sense of foreboding swept over her.

This wasn't good...


	2. Chapter 2

_**(A special thanks to Lynn for beta reading this! Thank you to all who read, follow, fav, review this!)**_

 _ ***No disclaimer needed as I helped create Outlaw Queen, not Adam or Eddie per the COWARDLY ADAM!***_

Pregnant. Regina was pregnant. It wasn't possible, as he had taken every possible precaution, but had she? Robin asked himself the question, and red mist of rage engulfed him as his totally panicked brain scrambled for an acceptable answer. Counting to ten didn't help. He got up to a thousand before he reached the glaringly obvious conclusion and finally trusted himself to turn and speak to her without yelling.

"I'm going to presume you are going to claim this is my child?" he drawled with biting cynicism, while battling to keep a lid on the fury still simmering inside him and retain his legendary cool control. They had moved to the living room, Robin pacing the floor.

He could not believe he had been suckered in by Regina's so called innocence, she was like all the rest, like Zelena had said, if not worse, because she had succeeded where other women had failed with the oldest trick in the book.

"Robin, of course the baby is yours," she answered.

He heard the shock in her voice but ignored it.

"You now you are the only man I have been with in well over a year. I love you and I thought you loved me," Regina said.

"You thought wrong. I don't do love, don't believe in the concept, especially now," Robin said. "And how close are you and this Jefferson guy?"

"Why are you being like this?" she looked at him with hurt in her eyes. "Jefferson is just my friend."

"Why? Because I have no wish to be tricked into become a father," he said mockingly. "Remember in the beginning. I always used protection, you then suggested going on the pill and I was a g fool, because of your assurance was tempted by the idea of condom free sex for the first time in my life. I introduced you to my own private Doctor Martin, and he supplied your birth control pills. You did not even have to remember to collect them as he arranged for them to be delivered to you here. So there could have been no missed prescription, no mistake, no tell me, when did this conception occur?"

Whatever reaction Regina had expected, this sneering, cynical hard eyed stranger standing facing her bore no resemblance to the Robin she'd thought she knew and loved. Her emotions were frozen in shock and she simply stated the facts.

"The weekend in Vancouver. I forgot to take my pills with me," Regina answered.

"I might have guessed," Robin's logical mind, no longer blinded by sex, put two and two together and instantly saw through Regina's devious plan to trap him. Did she also know about his grandfather's will?

"I remember the only time you argued with me instead of being the eager lover was when I returned from spending Easter in Maine. You complained I never took you anywhere with me, and stated the only time you had been out of the country was a weekend in Mexico right after high school. You had not even been to Canada, so I took you there. Now you expect me to believe you mistakenly left your pills behind and never thought to mention the fact in the three days we stayed? How very convenient for you," he said mockingly. "That was the end of April, and now it is the beginning of July, you must be two months pregnant."

"Nine weeks," she amended softly. Maybe it was the shock of Robin behaving like the biggest horse's ass on the planet, she rationalized.

"What took you so long to tell me? You're a highly intelligent woman, Regina and your timing is perfect. But no one takes me for a fool, and if your usually spectacular wanton display in bed last weekend was supposed to soften me up to get me to marry you, you are out of luck."

Regina slapped him across the face before she could think. In the fog of her mind, she was devastated that he thought she could be that devious to deliberately get pregnant for his money.

"I thought you were my boyfriend. I thought you-"

He cut her off.

"Come off it, Regina, don't pretend you are that naive. I got you this apartment, I pay your rent here," Robin reminded her.

"If you think for one minute you can trap me with a child that was never on my agenda...think again," Robin said.

Regina sank down onto the couch, her mind in turmoil. He had said a child was not on his agenda. Typical business speak, she realized, for what he meant. He did not want their child and it was like a knife to her heart. She could not bear to look at him, and took a few deep, steadying breaths. Then finally the import of his disavowal of love as a concept registered in her mind, and in a blinding flash of clarity, she saw she had been deluding herself from the very start of their relationship. She had fallen in love with him, but he had not with her.

Now a lot of little niggling things over the past year made sense. Why he never suggested she go to meet his family and friends, or go anywhere with him on his travels. He had always had some excuse for not being around when her family came around to see her.

Her shoulders slumped and her head fell forward. She raised her hands to run them despairingly through her tangled hair, blinking away the tears that threatened. How could she have been so dumb, so mistaken about Robin, her first great love?

Red had tried to warn her, only she had let love cloud her senses to listen to her friend.

Robin looked at Regina's down bent head and saw the utter devastation she could not hide. The shock and anger that had overtaken him subsided a little. If she was pregnant of course he would take care of her. But first he needed Doctor Martin to confirm the pregnancy and, given he had been away for weeks at a time throughout their affair, he needed to be certain the child was his before he could even consider marrying her, though no child of his was going go be born out of wedlock. Lock being the operative word, he thought cynically...marriage meant the end of his bachelor days.

Unfortunately he could not deal with this now, as he needed to make some phone calls to make. "I need to go, but don't worry, I will speak with Martin tonight. He is an excellent doctor and discreet. He will take care of your pregnancy and I will pay for everything. I can assure you."

She slowly lifted her head and stared at him for a long moment. She wasn't crying and her usually dark eyes were oddly blank. "I'm not worried, and I'm sure he will," she said quietly, and glanced back down at her clasped hands.

"Good," Robin hesitated. He had never seen Regina look so defeated. Maybe he should say something. But he didn't know what to say, as he was still in shock. "I'm going to get a glass of wine and go outside."

Ten minutes later, he'd had time to think. Maybe he had been a bit harsh on Regina. Either by accident of design, it didn't really matter, she was still a pregnant woman. He walked back in and found her sitting in the kitchen, with a cup of tea in one hand.

"I'm going to leave now and be in touch with you tomorrow," Robin said.

Regina put her tea down and looked at Robin. He was dressed in a charcoal grey suit, perfectly tailored to fit his broad shoulders. How had she ever imagined he was her boyfriend? she thought, appalled at her own naivety. On his birthday last three months ago, she had bought him a nineteenth century solid gold deal in the shape of a heart. She had spotted it in an antiques shop, and thought he would see the symbolism in her gift, that she was giving him her heart. How dumb was that?

She could only nod, incapable of speaking to the ruthless, arrogant pig...He had ripped her heart to shreds with his brutally cynical reaction to her pregnancy, coldly accusing her of being the worst sort of gold digger, plotting and planning to get pregnant on purpose to get his money.

When he had casually told her his good friend the doctor would discreetly 'take care' of her pregnancy, as though her unborn child was less than nothing, a blip to be dispensed with in the smooth running of his life, she'd known it was over between them.

Robin didn't want a baby. It was not on his agenda...What kind of cold hearted man was he that he could even equate a baby with a business agenda? But then business was his life and everything else came last, she realized. A termination was what he was offering her, not the love and the support she had stupidly expected. His solution was to pay his doctor friend to make the baby go away.

Regina heard the door shut. Getting to her feet, she walked into the bedroom and fell flat on the bed. With her head buried in the pillow she finally let the tears fall. She cried with pain and grief for a love that never was, and the loss of her innocent illusions, and finally cried herself into a sleep of physical and mental exhaustion.

The next morning, Regina woke up later than usual. The night before came flooding back to her, causing her heart to break all over again. Robin's brutal reaction to her pregnancy appalled her all over again and suddenly his parting words that he would discuss the necessary arrangement with her today replayed in her mind. She panicked. She couldn't stay here, she would take her baby and leave. That was the only thought in her mind as she leapt off the bed, heading for the chest of drawers and stumbling over a rug...

Robin was at the office, signing off some forms when he saw the door open and in walked, Zelena. "What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to stop by and see if I could get you to come with me for some lunch," Zelena said.

"I'm not interested," Robin declined shortly.

"You look tired, Robin. Let me give you a neck massage, and it will help you relax," Zelena said as she walked to stand behind Robin.

"Cut the crap, Zelena," Robin said as he stood up from his desk as he deflected her hands. "Leave now."

"You really are a devil," Zelena said as she smiled and left the room.

Robin went to his bar and poured himself a drink, when had he become such a cynical devil, he asked himself? The shock of Regina's news, that he was to become a father had worn off, and he was able to think clearly. He had never wanted to marry, but if he was honest with himself, he would like a child, someone to have everything that he had worked so hard for.

Regina...the beautiful Regina, would it be such a hardship being married to her? He was her first love from what she had told him, and the thought of her with another man was not one he like to contemplate. He took another sip of his drink. He thought back to his conversation, more likely his railing off on her like he had. He felt guilt on how he talked to her.

Robin put his glass down and called his driver, his decision made. He would marry her. Surprisingly, he did not feel trapped as he had first thought. He would meet with Martin and find out all he could about a woman's pregnancy, how soon he could get a paternity test as well.

But first, he felt this sudden need to see Regina. He told his driver to stop by Regina's first on his way out. But he took one hell of a knock when he finally got to her apartment, to find that Regina and the baby she was carrying, his baby, was gone!

 _ **(A/N-Okay I know that was harsh the way Robin treated Regina, once in the whole discussion he did think he was being too harsh and again at the ending of this chapter. I promise he will have to make up for that later on.)**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**(A/N-Thanks to Lynn for beta reading this. Also to those who read, review, follow and fav this story.)**_

 ** _*Trigger for Miscarriage*_**

Regina lay flat on her back on the anonymous hospital bed, and stared up at the white ceiling sightlessly. She had cried for hours until her tears ran out. All she could feel now was numb and empty inside. She was oblivious to the noise and bustle of the hospital surroundings, that was normal according to Doctor Elliot, the doctor who had treated her. Not that it mattered now, not that she cared...

All she could hear was the doctor's voice as he told her that she had lost her baby, not to worry, apparently thousands of women miscarried in the first trimester, it was nature's way of dealing with a probably unviable pregnancy. But the doctor had assured her, that she was young, healthy and could have more babies.

She knew he had been trying to be kind to her, trying to reassure her, but nothing and no one could ever do that, not now. She put her hand on her flat stomach. She had only known definitely that she was pregnant for about ten days now, but the instant love and need to protect her precious baby had been all consuming.

Well, no more. Her precious baby was gone, and with the baby had gone her trusting foolish heart. Her left had changed irrevocably, because whatever happened in the future never as long as she lived would she ever forget the horror, the pain and the despair of this day.

Doctor Elliot had told her he would keep her in the hospital overnight and make an appointment for her to come back next week to have a D & C. Or as he had explained, in layman's terms have her womb scraped. And then he'd told her to try and rest.

Regina closed her eyes, and let her pain come out in sobs, as she had no tears. She shook until her ribs hurt, she thought they might break. Not that she would feel them, as the pain of loosing her baby was more than she could bear right now.

"Regina."

She regonized Robin's voice and slowly turned her head. He was standing in the doorway, his immaculate suit not quite so perfect anymore, his jacket hanging open, with a look of shock and disgust in his blue eyes as he stared at her. She wasn't surprised. She wondered why she had never noticed until today how cold and ruthless he could be.

"I spoke to your doctor on my way in. He told me what happened. I'm so sorry, Regina. But I promise you going to be fine, I will make sure of it," he said, as he looked around the room.

He was his calm, cool self again, Regina noticed. As for his 'sorry', it didn't ring true, but she had not the will to care. Listlessly her eyes drifted up to the clock on the wall above his head, registering it was almost midnight.

"I can't believe you didn't call me. They had to look in your phone for my contact information. I've called Doctor Martin, and sent a car to pick him up, he will be arriving here at any minute and we will get you out of this place," Robin assured her.

At the mention of Doctor Martin, Regina closed her eyes. If it hadn't been for the thought of Robin hiring him she would not have panicked ans she would not be here, she thought, reliving again and again the stab of pain that had made her clutch her stomach as she had fallen. She had been on her way downstairs from her apartment, when she had felt weak and had tried to catch herself before falling down the stairs. As she had laid there before passing out, she had felt the sudden flow of moisture between her thighs and knew what was happening to her. Luckily a neighbor in another apartment had heard her cries and called an ambulance.

Several hours later she was here, and in that time the tiny life inside her had been expelled. She opened her eyes and looked at Robin again. The father of her baby. She realized his sensitivity was truly nonexistent. And so for trusting him, never would she make that mistake again.

He actually had the colossal arrogance to suggest she should have called him. What a joke. It was almost midnight, he had obviously been in no hurry to get here. The numbness she had felt was replaced with the bitterly sad realization that neither she nor her baby was as important to Robin as his latest business deal.

"No," she said, with almost humor in her voice as she smiled as the cosmic irony of the situation hit her.

"It is not a chaotic place, but a very busy hospital, the type we lesser mortals frequent. As for my moving, there is no point. I have already lost the baby. You should be happy now the problem is solved," Regina said.

For a long moment, Robin Locksley was struck dumb as the significant of her words sank in,"My God," he groaned.

It was become of him that Regina was lying like a pale doll in a hospital bed, and the guilt that had clawed at his gut from the moment the doctor told him more than he had wanted to hear increased tenfold.

"Regina," he crossed to stand by the bed,"I could never think of any child as a problem, and I am so sorry you lost the baby, you have to believe me." Her beautiful face was as white as the sheet tucked up to her shoulders, even her usual red lips were very pale.

Robin was stunned by the sorrow and the regret he felt when he looked down into her big brown eyes, no longer sparkling but dulled with the acceptance of what had happened to her. He felt like an ogre.

He was not an emotional man but as he sat down on the edge of the bed, he leaned over and brushed his lips gently against her brow. He was appalled at the chill of her skin. He recahed for her hand and she let him, obviously having no will to fight him.

"You must believe me, Regina," he repeated. Her hand was cold, and the look she gave him was equally cold. "It never entered my mind that you might loose the baby. I was angry when I found out, but I had gotten over the shock and decided I quite liked the idea of us becoming a family. I was going to tell you when I came to see you today."

Easy enough for him to say that now, Regina thought, and felt the pressure of his hand squeezing hers. She looked up into his handsome face and for an instant imagined she saw pain and anguish in the depths of his blue eyes. Incredibly, she felt compassion stirring in her heart.

No, it wasn't possible. Robin was never going to make a fool of her again. His decision that he quite liked the idea of becoming a family was weak at best, and convenient for him, she noted. And tellingly, as the silence lengthened between them, he was in no hurry to expand on the subject.

"Nice sentiment, but not necessary. My baby is gone," Regina murmured. "But look on the bright side, Robin. I have saved you a shed load of money."

"What do you mean by that?" Robin demanded, battling to contain the flash of anger he felt, knowing that in her fragile state the last thing Regina needed was him ranting at her. He had done enough yesterday, and was filled with self disgust at the memory of how he had treated her. "You can accuse me of a lot of things, Regina, but meanness is not one of them. Whatever you want you can have, I swear."

The only thing she wanted was her baby back, and she could not have that. As for being mean, Robin was not mean but incredibly generous with material things. But with his emotions, his feelings, he was very closed off.

"Yes, you are right," Regina agreed. "In the scheme of things the cost of a private doctor in nothing to you, I know."

Robin had the niggling sense he was missing something, but Doctor Martin walked in with Doctor Elliot and a nurse, and leaping to his feet, he demanded of his friend,"I want Regina out of here, Charles, and under your care immediately."

"It's after midnight, Robin, and Regina is exhausted. Better to wait until the morning," Charles replied and Doctor Elliot agreed with him.

Robin wasn't satisfied,"Charles, I want the best for Regina, and this is not it."

"I am not going anywhere," Regina murmured, and all three turned to look at her."I just want to sleep."

"She is right, gentlemen," Doctor Elliot spoke up again. "Let the nurse give her a sedative, and we can take this discussion outside."

The next morning, Regina had woken up after her miscarriage and Robin had been there and Doctor Elliot had discharged her. Still devastated by her loss, she hadn't cared what happened to her, and when Robin has insisted he would take care of her, she'd been too weak to resist, so she'd let him, and returned to the apartment.

Doctor Martin had provided a nurse to stay with her over the weekend, although Robin had insisted he could look after her. An appointment had been made at Martin's private clinic for the D & C the following week, and after a lot of persuading from the nurse and Regina that he was fussing too much Robin had left that afternoon to attend his father's birthday party.

He had said,"You have my cell number, ring me if you need me. I'll be back later tonight. You can count on me." Then he had promised to take her to her appointment at the clinic for the next week, kissed her goodbye and left.

When he didn't return that night, Regina had tried to get in touch with him, a woman had answered, his assistant Lisa, and after an enlightening conversation Regina had known she was going nowhere except home...

She couldn't believe she had been so weak to believe him a second time, well not anymore. Her heart couldn't take it.

The love that she had felt for him had turned, into a cold, bitter contempt. So she left that night, vowing never to think about Robin Locksley again.

Almost five years later, Regina was at a dinner party with some friends for a charity event. She was a teacher once again, had put her life together. All thanks to one very special young man.

"May I have this dance?" Jefferson Hatter asked. Regina nodded and he led her onto the dance floor.

Jefferson was a close friend of hers, but after being a long time friend over the last few years, he had developed his relationship with Regina into something a bit more. They had kissed a few times, but she just didn't feel that something special with him. Not since...

No! She wouldn't think of him!

"Penny for your thoughts?" Jefferson asked.

"Trust me, they are not worth that much," Regina said. "But if you're good I'll tell you later."

"Trust me, I can be very good when the occasion arises," Jefferson said with a pure sexual look in his eyes.

"Behave yourself and dance," Regina said, smiling. Maybe tonight would be the right time to move on. She had certainly been celibate far too long.

Then the hairs on the back of her neck began to prickle, and she had the oddest feeling it had nothing to do with Julian. Someone was watching her.

Several minutes later, Jefferson had gone to get them some drinks, leaving her on the side of the dance floor.

"Regina, I wanted to introduce you to a few people," David Nolan, a friend of hers said,"This is Robin Locksley of Locksley Corporation."

At the mention of that name, a name she had hoped never to hear again, Regina froze, and there he was standing in front of her. Now she knew who had been watching her.

Speechless and rigid with shock, she stared at him, and for a moment all she could see was the powerfully drawn face of Robin Locksley, the man who had been her first lover. Her heart hammered in her chest and she drew in a deep unsteady breath, willing the shock to recede.

He looked older, and there were a few threads of grey in his hair now. He was in his mid thirties now, and the extra years had only served to give him an even more impregnable self assurance, but she would have recognized that handsome face anywhere.

"Regina," A strong long fingered hand reached out for hers.

She steeled herself to take the hand he offered,"Pleased to see you, Robin," she said noncommittally, still not sure if he was going to admit they knew each other.

"The pleasure is all mine," he offered, and the blue eyes that met here were mocking.

She withdrew her fingers before he could clasp them, but even so she was horrified to feel a familiar electric spark at his brief touch, and glanced away, instinctively moving away from him. The three of them talked in general, Jefferson joining them eventually.

"So what do you do for a living, Regina?" Robin asked.

"I teach history at a local school near my home," Regina answered and smiled lightly as she then felt Jefferson dip his head and brushed his lips against hers.

For a brief moment Robin Locksley was stunned by the sudden urge of anger he felt as Jefferson Hatter kissed Regina. Five years since he had last seen her, since he had returned to find she had left him.

He had expected her to move on, knew she would one day. Yet seeing another man actually kiss Regina had stirred a primitive instinct in him he had thought long gone.

"Regina, there are a few people I need to speak to, shall we?" Jefferson said as he led her away. Regina could feel Robin's eyes on her the whole way. Luckily she never saw him again that night. She hoped she would never have to see him again.

A week later, Robin was in his office going over a contract when his mind went to...Regina. At that moment there was a knock on his door and in walked August Booth, who was doing some work for him.

"Here you go, Robin, just what you asked for," August said as he handed him a folder. Robin quickly paid him and picked up the folder. Inside was the details of Regina Mills' life from the week she had left the apartment. He had given August that date specifically, as he knew all too well what had happened before...He weighed the file in his hand, and it felt light.

Good sign or bad? He didn't know, but what he did know was that he needed Regina back in his life.

Slowly he opened the file and began to read.

Five minutes later, he barely glanced at the photo of mother and child at the back of the brief report before dropping the lot on the desk. Then, swivelling in his chair, he stared out through the glass wall of his office into the bright light of the October sun. His broad brow creased in a thunderous frown and his blue eyes narrowed against the natural glare and the blaze of anger burning inside him.

Regina had she had left him, she was living with her aunt in London. She had brought a cottage where she lived a quiet life. All her neighbors liked her, everyone who ever met her liked her.

But there was the thought that Regina was the single mother of a boy of four years old. Not unusual in this day and time. But what he had instantly realized, and what was an outrage to Robin, was that the baby had been born only seven months and one week after the miscarriage of their child, and there was no father listed on the birth certificate. It had been born at the London Bridge Hospital.

The baby had to have been born premature, that was the obvious conclusion. Even then it gutted him to think that Regina had falling into bed with another man so quickly, and gotten pregnant again.

He turned and picked up the photograph again, studying it closely. As he studied the image on the paper he had a sense of recognition that built and built the longer he examined the photograph. If his suspicions were correct, Regina Mills had to be the greatest actress ever.

He called for a car to be brought around and he took the address he had for Regina's home. It was time for a visit with her.

 _He knew that little face in the photo, it reminded him of his own when he was around this age._

 _ **(Okay, I argued back and forth with myself over this direction I went with this story. I had another direction in my mind, but I decided on this one. I know its very sad 3/4 the way through, but I will make up for this. Now what happened with Regina, and how she has a child will be explained in the next chapter.)**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**(A/N-Thanks to Lynn for beta reading this story. And thank you all who read, follow, and fav, and review it.)**_

"Has he been much trouble?" Regina asked her friend Marie, tightening her grip on Roland's hand as he tried to pull her down to the village street.

"No, he was great. He played with Zoe as good as an angel," she answered.

Regina lived on the the outskirts of the village of Grantchester and taught at a private school in the nearby town of Cambridge. Marie, her friend and school mate, had visited her when Roland was born and ended up married to a local vet. Her daughter was born eighteen months younger than Roland, and Marie picked him up from the village infant school where Marie attending the nursery section and kept him until Regina got back about an hour later and collected him.

"Thanks. You have no idea how much I appreciate your taking care of him for me. Next week, is half term, thank goodness. So it will only be about six weeks after that before Aunt Lila returns from her holiday, if that is okay with you?"

"Stop worrying, Regina. It's not a problem. Now go, it is getting cold out here," Marie said.

"Okay," Regina laughed, and with a wave strolled down the drive to the pavement, Roland skipping along at her side.

Her aunt had gone on holiday to Italy, and in the four days since she'd left Regina had come to realize just how much she had depended on her aunt to help with Roland over the years. She had been there for Regina when she gave birth to Roland, and later looked after Roland while Regina qualified as a teacher and then worked.

When Regina had started school in September Regina has encouraged her aunt to finally take the two month holiday she had been planning for ages, to visit her oldest friend in Italy. Her Aunt Lila deserved the break. She had always loved Regina and had been there for her, and in the last few years for Roland as well, of course.

Regina glanced down at her little boy. He was lucky and so was she.

Being a teacher was an advantage for a single mum, she thought contentedly. She had the same holidays as the infant school, and next week she could relax with Roland. They were going to redecorate his bedroom. She had never got around to removing the baby blue decor, and Roland now wanted a Robin Hood theme styled bedroom or one with racing cars from one of his favorite movies .

"Mummy! Mummy!" he yelled, and stopped, forcing her to stop as well.

"Yes, darling, what is it?" Regina asked.

"Can I have a car like that one over there on my wall?" He was pointing at a car parked on the opposite side street of the street.

She chuckled. It was a low slung lethal looking black monster, with huge wheels, illegally parked in front of the post office, just the sort to appeal to young boys or old, she thought dryly.

"Mum, Mum, can we go and see what kind of car it is...?" Roland asked her.

But Regina barely heard Roland's excited request as the car door opened and a man stepped out.

Long and lean, he wore black hip hugging jeans and a sweater and he looked as dark and dangerous as the car itself...

Robin Locksley...

She watched in stunned amazement as in a few lithe strides he was over the road and standing in front of her.

"Regina, this is a surprise. I thought it was you, but the child threw me when I heard him call you Mum," Robin said.

His deeply voice greeting set every nerve in her body on edge, and she could do nothing about the sudden leap in her pulse. Steeling herself to remain calm,she glanced at him and politely said,"Hello, Robin," conscious of her son at her side.

"I wasn't aware you had a child. Nobody told me," Robin's piercing blue eyes sliced through her like a knife, and she had never seen such rage, quickly controlled as he turned his attention to her son.

"Hello, young man. I heard you telling your mum you liked my car." He smiled down at Roland. "It is the latest model Bently convertible."

"Wow! Does that mean the roof comes off?" Roland asked with eyes like saucers.

"Yes, a the press of a button. Would you like to see the inside? Or I have a better idea, let's go for a drive. Would you like that young man?" Robin asked.

"No!" Regina snapped, tugging Roland closer to her side. "He knows he must never get into a stranger's car." And she wished he had not yelled 'Mum!' quite so loud, not that it would have made such a difference.

Robin turned his head and stared down at her, and the look in his eyes made her blood freeze.

"Admirable. Definitely the touch of a mother. But you and I are not strangers, Regina, so there is no harm in introducing me to your son, is there?" he asked silkily.

He knew...That was her first thought, then common sense prevailed. Robin might have his suspicions, but he could not possible know for certain, and she was not about to tell him.

She stood very still and moistened her suddenly dry lips with the tip of her tongue as she considered her options. She could walk off with Roland and ignore Robin, or to stop any suspicion he might have she could be polite. Good manners won.

"Roland," she said, looking down into her son's upturned face,"this is Robin." She swallowed hard, forcing a smile to her stiff lips. "We used to know each other," She could not lie and call the man a friend. "Say hello, Roland."

Roland looked at her with a hint of puzzlement in his eyes, then shifted his gaze to stare solemnly up at Robin. "Hello, Robin. I am Roland Mills. I live at Appletree Cottage, here in Grantchester."

Regina wanted to scream. Last year she had spent weeks teaching Roland to say his name and address, in case he ever got lost, and how he reeled it off to the last man she ever wanted to know it.

Then her traitorous son looked back at her, a huge grin on his face,"So now can I have a ride in the man's car, Mum?"

She shook her head helplessly, her own son was as sharp as a tack, and before she could answer Robin cut in.

"Yes, of course you can Roland. I'll give you and your mum a lift home."

How dared Robin presume to answer Roland for her? He had no right, and her maternal instincts were aroused along with her temper. She told him straight.

"No, you won't. Apart from everything else," like deciding in his high handed manner what they could do, she thought scathingly,"it it illegal for a child to travel in a car unless a child seat is fitted, and I doubt you have one or that this model is equipped to have one fitted." She cast a disparaging glance at the black monster parked. "We will walk home."

"But, Mum-"

"Sorry, son. Your mother is right." Robin said.

Robin glanced at her, and she saw the cynical twist to his lips. Her heart sank to her boots at his casual use of the word, _son_. She suspected it was not casual at all...

Somehow he knew. But how he had found out she had no idea, and given the one memorable occasion Robin had clearly told her he didn't want a child, saying having a child was not on his agenda, why he was getting involved surprised her...

"Yes, but there is a car seat in Mum's car you can use if you come home with us. Can he, Mum?"

"Good idea, Roland, if your mother will agree."

Two set of adorable dimples set on her, anticipating her answer. The last thing she needed was for Robin to know she still had the car he had given her.

"I don't think that is a good idea. It is quite difficult taking the child seat in and out of my car. Plus it is getting late, and you have to have your tea, and remember Roland, your bed time is seven thirty." She listed every excuse she could think of. "And I'm sure Mr. Locksley is a very busy man. Maybe some other time."

"Not so busy. But I take your point about the seat, Regina." His tone mocked her. "I have an idea." Glancing down at his watch, he smiled down at Roland. "While you and your mum go home for tea I have a few calls to make. But I'll be back by six, with a car seat, and we can go for a spin then, how does that sound?"

Horrible, Regina thought bitterly. But, seeing the beaming smile on her son's face as he asked her if that was okay, she hadn't the heart to disappoint him again.

"If Mr. Locksley is sure, that is fine with me," she lied.

"I'm sure."

He gave her a cold, hard glance, and she had the sinking sensation he was not just talking about a car ride. But with a bit of luck, she thought, clutching at straws, even Robin might not be able to get a car seat in time on a late Friday evening.

"I will be back, Regina. You can count on me."

His voice was deep and menacing, and it made her want to grab her son and run. But instead she met his eyes with her own, her lips twisting in a bitter smile as a memory of another time and place replayed in her mind.

"So you say."

Robin had said the exact words to her when he had left to go to his father's birthday and he had lied then. Remembering the past gave her the determination to stand up to him. He had not wanted a child five years ago, but he sure as hell was not getting hers now...

"Believe it," he declared, and ruffled Roland's hair with his hand added,"See you at six, Roland." He strode back to his car and drove off.

Robin Locksley clasped the wheel white knuckled as he drove, his head was spinning. He hadn't been expected to meet them. He had merely stopped at the post office asking for directions when he had caught sight of Regina walking down the drive of the house opposite.

Seeing her holding onto the child at her side, had made him almost freeze in shock. The child at her side looked very much like photos of himself at that age...

Roland was his...He would bet his life on it. But it made no sense. A week ago he had been looking at the picture of mother and son, he had felt his suspicion aroused. Robin had called his personal doctor and friend Charles, asking to meet for dinner one night and asked him about the miscarriage without mentioning that Regina had another baby. Charles had confirmed there was no doubt that Regina had lost her baby. He had consulted with Doctor Elliot at the time and read the medical notes. The sex of the child had not been indistinct. Then, having drunk more than he should, Charles had admonished Robin for leaving such a delightful young man and had recalled that she had not kept her appointment at his clinic, not surprising, under the circumstances.

Robin had made no comment, there was no reason for Charles to know it had been the other way around. His ego had taken a beating where Regina was concerned. Was it possible the doctors had been wrong?

They have to have been! Somehow Regina had lied and fooled them all into believing she had miscarried. He had seen he look in her eyes and knew she was hiding something from him.

His son!

An hour later Regina was placing two plates of food onto the kitchen table, she saw Roland about to sit down at his chair and picked him up and hugged him,"I love you, Roland." she told him, then let him wiggle out of her arms and onto the chair.

As they ate their dinner, her mind was reeling. Robin had no proof that Roland was his, and as long as she denied it there was precious little he could do about it. If he pressed it, she would show him that he could no longer intimidate her, and would fight him every step of the way.

Regina looked at her clock. Six-forty-five, Robin was late... She cleared the table and washed the dishes in between answering a constant flow of questions from Roland about Robin's car, and what the time was, and when the man was coming back. With a bit of luck, he would never come back, she thought. The heartless jerk had never returned when he'd promised her he would, why would his promise to her child be any different? Roland might be upset for awhile, but he would get over his disappointment.

"Roland, it's time for your bath, then a story, then bed," Regina said.

"But what about my ride in the car? Your friend promised."

The disappointment in his brown eyes touched her heart. He was so young and innocent, and she did not want to be the one to destroy his trust. "Maybe something can up, but maybe he'll come back another day."

"Do you think so?"

"Oh, I'm sure he will." A wry smile curved her mouth as Roland went to his feet, his happiness restored, while hers was in danger of being destroyed with the arrival of Robin into her nice, well ordered life.

Just then the doorbell rang. Oh hell! She swore under her breath, but Roland was already out of the sitting room and running to the front door.

Regina followed and opened the door, Robin was standing on the doorstep, a broad smiled on his face for Roland, who had pushed her back.

"You came back. Mummy said you would."

"Your mummy knows me well. And I have got a child seat fitted, so if she agrees we can take that ride now."

"You are late," Regina said, angry because to her horror her heart had leaped at the right of him and she realized she found Robin as incredible attractive as ever. "Roland's bedtime is seven-thirty."

"Please, Mum," Roland begged as he looked at her.

"Well, it had better be a quick trip," Regina finally agreed.

Ten minutes later, she was sitting stiffly in the passenger seat of the car, silently simmering with resentment. There was no escaping the fact that Roland was happy and completely at ease with his new found friend, and she wondered what evil trick of fate had landed her in this mess.

She could hear the excitement in Roland's voice as Robin gave him instructions on how to drive over the roar of the engine. More than she could ever imagined possible, she realized a minute later, when the car came to a stop as the traffic lights outside London Bridge Hospital changed to red and she heard Roland chattering happily to Robin.

"That's where I went when I broke my arm, and the man said I was very brave when he mended it," she heard Roland bragging cheerfully. "Mum had me there, and I am a miracle baby, because I had a twin, but it died before I was born."

Regina closed her eyes, the color draining from her face. Why, oh, why had she taken the advice of the baby books so literally and told her son the truth? She must have been crazy, because now it had come back to bite her with a vengeance.

"That is very interesting, Roland," she heard Robin respond.

She opened her eyes and saw Robin was looking directly at her.

"Out of the mouth of babes, Regina?" Robin mocked, and the gleam of bitter triumph in his eyes chilled her to the core.

"I am not a baby. I am nearly five and a big boy now," Roland stated, saving her from responding. Thankfully Robin's attention was diverted from her back to Roland.

Regina stared blindly out the window as the lights changed and Robin drove on. Roland was a miracle baby, and her mind drifted back to the past as the familiar landscape sped by.

She had been living with her Aunt Lila for nearly two months when she had finally told her aunt about her disastrous love affair and the miscarriage she had suffered. The reason being that a week earlier she had visited her local GP because she had been suffering from slight nausea and a bloated feeling, and she had been worried something was wrong. She had told her GP about the miscarriage, and she voiced her worry about leaving too hasty without having the D & C done.

Regina could still remember the sense of awe and wonderment after her GP had asked her some questions and examined her stomach. She had told her she was sixteen weeks pregnant, and the baby was fine. She'd arranged for her to have an ultrasound scan at the local hospital and told her she had nothing to worry about. It was a rare occurrence, but originally she must have been carrying twins, not identical, and had lost only one.


	5. Chapter 5

_**(A/N-Thanks to Lynn for beta reading this and to those who read, review, follow and fav this story!)**_

Regina considered herself lucky that five years ago she had failed to keep her appointment with Doctor Martin for the D & C procedure after all...But she didn't feel lucky now as she walked out of Roland's bedroom and closed the door behind her. He was fast asleep, her innocent child, but she knew she would get no sleep tonight, with Robin's threat still ringing in her ears.

When they had arrived back at the cottage earlier Roland had thanked Robin for the ride in his car, then added,"It is a super car, but I like the color of Uncle Jefferson's better. His is bright red."

Regina had had to smiled at the look of masculine irritation on Robin's handsome face.

"So, Roland, you like red and Uncle Jefferson, hmm?" Robin asked.

"Yes, he is my friend and Mum's, like you," Roland had replied happily as they'd walked up the path to the door.

"I will remember that," Robin had offered as he'd said goodbye to Roland.

Regina's smile had vanished when his dark blonde hair had bent towards her.

"Uncle Jeffferson be damned! I will be back later, and you had better have some answers ready," Robin had said, before walking off.

Thinking about Robin's words was doing her no good at all, Regina decided as she entered her bedroom and removed her now damp clothes, bathing Roland was a lively operation at the best of times. She dress in a pair of jeans and a blue shirt. She gave her hair a few vigorous strokes before flicking the long length behind her ears and fastening it with a simple band, then left the bedroom.

Quietly she descended the stairs and turned towards the kitchen at the back of the cottage. A soothing cup of tea that was what she needed. There was no point stressing over a knock on the door that might never happen, so she picked up the kettle, took it to the sink, filled it with water and switched it on. She opened one of the kitchen cupboards and took out a mug, a faint smiled curving her mouth. It had been a present from Roland last Christmas, with the helpd of Aunt Lila, and the inscription on the white porcelain proclaimed the owner to be the 'Best Mum in the World.'

A timely reminder! Her position was clear, and if Robin Locksley turned up again all she had to do was remember she was a great mum and tell him to take a hike...

Regina carried the mug of tea into the sitting room and sank down on the long, large, soft cushioned sofa that curved into an open end, in modern take on a chaise lounge, and faced the fireplace. Her aunt had insisted on buying the sofa, saying she had spent sixty years with old fashioned furniture and wanted something different. Acutally, it worked quite well, thought Roland spent a lot of time perched on the open end because it was the closest to the television.

She took a sip of her tea and thought of lighting the log fire, but it wasn't worth it this late, she decided. Picking up the remote, she switched the television on, flicking through the channels, but there was nothing that captured her interest.

Sighing she glanced around the room. She loved her house, her home. It was originally been a nineteeth century stone built semi detached farm laborer's cottage, two up and two down, belonging to her aunt. When the cottage next door had come on the market four years ago, with the help of a diamond necklace and some other unwanted jewelry Regina had bought it.

Now she had a sinking feeling that her happy home might be about to change, if Robin had his way. Drinking her mug of tea, she rose to her feet and headed back to the kitchen. She was worrying for nothing, she told herself determinedly. Robin could not take her child unless she let him, and she was not that dumb. She rinsed out her mug and put it back in the cupboard, and with a last look around the kitchen decided to mark papers for awhile.

As she was halfway into the pile of papers, she heard the knock on the door. She toyed with the idea of not answering, but she didn't want Roland disturbed and reluctantly got to her feet. Moment of reckoning, she thought as she walked down the hal, rubbing her suddenly damp palms down her slender thighs. It could only be one person.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door.

It was dark out, but the light from the hall illuminated the tall figure of Robin, his hand raised as if to knock again, but then patience had never been one of his virtues, she recalled. When he wanted something, be it a business deal or a woman, he went straight for his objective with all the skill and guile at his disposal.

His blue eyes surveyed her, but she sensed the tension in his broad shoulders. Regina straightened, keeping her spine rigid. He was wearing the same causal clothes, with the addition of a leather jacket, and now dark stubble shadowed his square jaw. If anything he looked more dangerous and more intimidating than before. Suddenly she was aware of hos isolated the house was, situated at least a ten minute walk from the village, and how alone she was with only a sleeping child for company. Her heart beat a little faster.

"It is rather late for calling. Anything you wish to say to me can wait till the morning. I want an early night." And, tightening her grip on the door handle, she began to close the door. But a strong hand closed like a vice around her wrist.

"Who with? Uncle Jefferson?" he drawled, his big body crowding her as he urged her back into the hall and closed the door behind him.

"Don't be disgusting, and I would like you to leave," she said, determined to remain polite but firm. She tried to ignore the sudden leap in her pulse beneath his enfolding hanf, and made herself look steadily up at him.

Big mistake...His blue eyes burned like living coals of fire into hers, and she could not tear her gaze away. "Why, damn you? Why?" he demanded, taking her hand behind her back to pull her close against his tall frame. "You told me you were pregnant quick enough. What the hell did I do so wrong that a few months later you would deny me knowledge of my son?"

She saw the fury, the angry confusion in his eyes, and ignoring it flung back her head,"He is not your son," she declared defiantly. It was a desperate last ditch attempt to get him to leave. She was aware of the tension in him, and also aware of the pressure of his hard body against her own. She had never known a man who could affect her physically as strongly as Robin did, and she trembled. He felt her telltale tremor, Regina knew, as his blue eyes narrowed with a more sinister light.

"I know you for the liar you are, and I can't believe what you have done to me," His free hand snaked around her neck, his long fingers grasping the thick swathe of her hair and twisting it around his wrist, pulling her head back.

Held captive in his hold, she stared helplessly into his blue eyes and recognized the menacing sensuality in the depths of them. "No," she choked, and splaying her hands defensively against his broad chest tried to break free. But he pushed her hand behind her back, forcing her harder against him as his head descended and he subdued her with a kiss.

His hand at her nape held her firm as he ravaged her mouth into a ruthless, domineering passion that Regina fought against. But, trapped against his broad chest, it was a useless exercise. Indifference was her only hope, but it was a futile hope as the demanding pressure of his firmly chiselled lips against her own and the thrusting of his tongue into the moist interior of her mouth, the achingly familiar taste of him, incredibly awakened a long denied desire. She tried to force the physical memories back, but her traitorous body had a will of its own and it betrayed her. Her breath caught in suffocating excitement as a curl of heat ignited in her belly, sending her pulse rate rocketing and making her shudder in involuntary response.

Sensing her reaction, he gentled his mouth and trailed his lips to the long, slender arch of her neck, closing over the wildly beating pulse of her throat. She was scarcely aware when his arm eased around her waist and the hand holding her hair slipped down to cup her breast through the soft fabric of her shirt.

His thumb rubbed lightly across her nipple, and it was only the hot stab of arousal arrowed from her breast to her groin, tightening her wayward flesh, that she realized the very real danger she was in, almost too late...

"Get your hands off of me, you brute!" she twisted dislodging his hand from her breasts and breaking free from his restraining arm, and fell back a step.

"We still want one another. I felt it in your heart pounding," he mocked her.

"You repulse me," she lied, stunned by the ease with which Robin had almost seduced her again.

"No, I don't," he smirked at her.

Without a second thought she swung at him, landing a hard slap on his handsome face,"Get out of my house now or I will call the police!" she yelled.

"No," he caught her hand and almost dragged her into her own living room. "And keep your voice down, you will wake my son."

"I don't need you to tell me how to look after my son," she said defiantly.

"Sit down," Robin pressed her backwards and she felt the sofa at the back of her knees.

Her legs felt weak, and she had not yet got over the power of his kiss, nor her unwelcome response to him.

"I forgive you for the slap, because maybe I was a little harsh," Robin said.

"A little?" Regina asked sarcastically. "You belong in the dark ages."

"No, I belong with my son." He stared down at her, his expression cold. "He is the reason we need to talk." He shrugged off his jacket and dropped it on the arm of the sofa before adding,"But first I could use a drink."

She looked at his muscular chest that his body hugging sweater outlined, she tore her gaze away and got to her feet,"Tea or coffee?" she asked.

"Have you anything stronger?" Robin asked.

"Only wine," Regina said as she left the room. She returned with two glasses and a bottle of white wine. She saw Robin standing there holding a picture of Roland and was studying it intently. Out of nowhere her heart squeezed at the look of wonderment she saw in his eyes, and she watched as he traced one finger on what she knew was the outline of Roland's smiling face.

"Wine," she muttered, placing the glasses on the coffee table, she sat down on the sofa and started to pour.

"How old was Roland here?" Robin held up the picture frame.

"Two," she didn't want to talk about Roland with Robin. She didn't want the man anywhere near her son. But she knew she didn't have that much of a choice now.

"And here as a baby, with Uncle Jefferson and the other person? I presume it is your Aunt Lila?" Robin asked.

"Yes, Jefferson is a good friend, and as for Aunt Lila, you never met her because you were always too busy, I seem to recall. The picture is Roland's baptism photograph, they are his two godparents." Regina explained.

"Jefferson Hatter is my son's godfather?" he asked with such a look of outrage Regina almost smiled.

"He is _my_ son's godfather," Regina amended. "And Jefferson is a very good one. His house is a mile up the road and they see a lot of each other. Roland really likes him," Not so subtly she was letting Robin know Roland did not need a billionaire going in and out of his life when he already had an excellent male role model virtually on the doorstep.

Robin made no reply, and Regina watched warily as he carefully put the picture back on the bureau and strode over to sit on the armchair by the fire. He took his glass and took a deep swallow.

"Give it up, Regina. We have established that Roland is mine, he virtually told me so himself in the car," he said. "I am not a fool, and your pathetic attempt to needle me over Jefferson Hatter's role in his life is never going to work."

"From the moment, I met you two, I knew you were hiding something from me, Regina by the way you behaved. So I had a friend of mine who heads a security agency check what you had done over the years," Robin said.

"You returned to live with your aunt, and Roland was born seven months and one week after we parted. I had my suspicion, so I checked with Charles earlier this week and he confirmed you had definitely had a miscarriage and lost the baby. I could not fathom how Roland could be my child until he told me he was a miracle baby. To be absolutely sure, when I left here earlier I called Charles, who informed me it was perfectly possible, though very rare. Then I visited the cottage hospital where he was born. The receptionist there was most helpful. I asked if I could have a copy of Roland's medical notes," Robin said.

Regina stood up and started to pace the room, she was completely furious with Robin.

"The woman was a romantic at heart, and when I told her of our tragic separation and how you and I were now reunited and intended to marry she was more than helpful. She gave me a photocopy. I know Roland was born in January by caesarean section and that he was two weeks overdue. I know he was one of what would have been twins, though it was clever of you to forget the name of the hospital where you had the miscarriage." He raised a mocking eyebrow. "I also know Roland broke his arm falling out of the pear tree in your garden."

"You had no right! That woman had no right!" she was outraged by her revelations.

"Yes, I had ever right. He is my won and you deliberately kept him from me. You had no right to keep him from his father," Robin said.

The gall, the bare faced cheek of the man, checking her out, checking the hospital out, interfering in her well ordered life just because he could. It was too much for Regina.

"I will give you answers. Try your own words, 'A child is not on my agenda' Does that ring any bells for you?" she quoted him. "You never wanted a baby," and she watched as a dark tide of color swept over his high cheekbones.

"So I panicked a little? I'm a single man, and we are programmed to believe the worst result is pregnancy. I was shocked," Robin said.

"You must think I'm a complete idiot. You have never panicked in your life," Regina shot back,"and nothing shocks you, Mr. Bloody Invincible." She swore, not something she often did, but she was fighting for her child. "You were your usual super cool controlled self and you meant every word. Then, as I recall, you had the gall to tell me not to worry and that your discreet private Doctor Marting would take care of the pregnancy and you would pay for everything. A termination was what you offered me, but lucky for you I miscarried anyway. And it didn't cost you a penny," Regina railed at him.

Robin Locksley, wealthy, powerful, confident of his place in the world, feared by some and respected by most, for once found himself...speechless.

He could not believe what he was hearing. It had never entered his head when Regina had told him she was pregnant that she should have a termintation. He had been trying to reassure her in declaring that Doctor Marting would take care of her in pregnancy. He had meant it all the way through her pregnancy and beyond. But, thinking back he realized it might not have sounded like that to Regina. Suddenly the comments she made in the hospital about saving him loads of money, and in the scheme of things the cost of a private doctor being nothing to him, which had puzzled him at the time made perfect sense if she believed what she did. How could they have gotten their wires so badly crossed?

"I never suggested a temination...ever" he murmured, but Regina wasn't listening to him.

She was looking at him as if he was something that had crawled out from under a rock, her brown eyes blazzing with passion. And that passion was pure hatred, he realized with a sense of shock. Consumed by his anger at what he saw as her betrayal, he had never considered her take on the past might differ dramatically from his, never considered the situation from her misguieded view.

Regina was on a roll, oblivious to Robin's stunned reaction, she felt all the fear and fury she had blanked out at the time, coming flooding back.

"But hey, Robin," she said sarcastically,"lucky for me you didn't turn up to take me to the clinic that next week, but instead let Lisa, your assistant, tell me you had discussed my miscarriage with her and inform me you weren't coming back and advised me to leave. Otherwise Roland would have been scraped out of my womb by your oh, so discreet Doctor Martin. And now you have the brass nerve to ask me why I never told you about Roland. You make me sick, turning up here and throwing your weight around, conning the hospital receptionist into giving you information with a load of lies. As for telling her we were getting married, forget it! That is never going to happen. Much the same way as it never happened last time when you told me you had decided we were going to be a family, after I had lost the baby," she said derisively. "A simple ploy to make yourself sound good when it no longer meant anything, and you are still the same selfish, egotistical devil now, who thinks only of himself and his own wants to the exclusion of everyone close. So forgive my skepticism, but I don't believe for one second your apparent interest in being a father, your sudden desire for a child. And I am telling you here and now. You are not getting mine..."

"Have you finished tearing my character to shreds?" Robin demanded, replacing the wine glass on the table and slowly rising to his feet. He had listened with growing anger and horror as he realized he could not actually argue Regina's analysis his behavior in the past. He had said a child was not on his agenda. Regina had dropped her pregnancy on him so casually it had been like an explosion in his head and he had been in a state of shock. But not for a second had he thought of a termination. Later in the hospital, when he had said they would be a family, what he had meant was he wanted to marry her, but he could see how that might have sounded hollow after the fact, and he had told Lisa about the miscarriage.

Robin did not want to believe Regina's story about Lisa telling her to leave the apartment, though he could not dismiss it. He had dispensed with Lisa's services after she had made a pass at him. There were certainly enough half truths in everything else Regina had said to make him feel like the lowest of the low, a totally alien feeling for him, a man who prided himself on his honor and integrity.

But if the passion and conviction in Regina's voice was anything to go by, then she truly believed he was capable of terminating his unborn child, and considered him the scum of the earth. Whatever he said in his defense would fall on deaf ears...She would never believe him now...

He pulled his mind back from the past, but the mistakes of the past could not be changed, but that didn't deter him from wanting to be in his son's life.

"So go marry whatever mistress you have and make your own babies, you can't have mine!" Regina said.

"You seem to forget he is my son as well," Robin prompted.

"I will tell Roland you are his father when I think he is ready, and I am willing to allow you to visit him, but under my rules," Regina said.

"First of all, five years ago I never suggested you have a termination. I was surprised when you told me you were pregnant, because it wasn't something I had planned on. What I said later, when I had got over my initial shock, was meant to reassure you. I told you not to worry and that Doctor Martin would look after you meaning I would provide the best medical care of your pregnancy and I would pay for everything. I meant until the child was born and ever after. I would never ever suggest terminating a child of mine," Robin declared adamantly as he stood before her.

"You told me your parents died when you were little, you had an aunt. Roland had other family, he needs to meet. I know I hurt you, and I know I can't change the past, but I can try to make your future, our child's future a good one," Robin said as his hand slipped down to curve about her waist, and with his eyes still locked with hers, the warmth in them unmistakable, be bent his head and brushed her lips with his. He kissed her softly, gently, before raising his head, a wry smile on his handsome face.

"What was that for?" Regina asked, stirred by his tenderness when she did not want to be.

"For Roland, and for what we shared in the past, and because I could not leave you in anger. I'll see myself out," Robin said.

Regina was left staring at his broad back as he walked out of the house.

Could she believe him again?


	6. Chapter 6

_**(Thanks to Lynn for beta reading this. And special thanks to those who read, review, follow and fav this story.)**_

Regina barely slept, and when she did a blue eyes man haunted her dreams. She awoke with a start to find Roland standing by her bed. She glanced at the clock, it was six thirty in the morning. Watching Roland scramble up on the bed, demanding she get up, she laughed and gave him a cuddle, but inside she was worried sick at the thought of how his young life might change with the arrival of Robin Locksley.

As for her life, the very idea of Robin sweeping in and out of it for heaven knew how long didn't bear thinking about. Having to see him on a regular basis visiting Roland was not something she looked forward too, but after a long, restless night she realized she would eventually have to give Robin more than supervised visiting rights to his son. Subjecting Roland to a custody battle was a pointless exercise. As his mother, she had no doubt she would win full custody, but the courts would certainly give Robin partial rights anyway.

She had once trusted Robin with her heart and soul, and he had destroyed that trust. Regina would never trust Robin again, and she could think of no hell on earth worse than being married to a man her own innate honesty forced her to admit she had little to no power to resist on a sexual level. There was something else she had learned last night as she awoke from a dream, her body hot and throbbing with frustration.

For years, sex or a lack of it had not bothered her, yet Robin in no time at all had reduced her to a sensually needy female with an ease that scared her. No way was she putting her heart in his hands again.

In that moment, Regina made her decision. She would tell Robin that she was willing to amend the conditions on his visiting rights and allowing him to see Roland. At first it would be in her presence, but later, once Roland was comfortable with him, on his own. It was a big concession on her part, which meant eventually gifting Robin a modicum of trust, but not yet, and she wasn't going to tell him today.

Today she was going to take Roland to the caravan they owned at a holiday part on the edge of of Weymouth Bay. They spent all their holidays there and Roland loved the place. She also planned for over the weekend for them to go looking for fossils at the Lyme Regis before leaving for the winter. They could pick up the wallpaper for his bedroom in the home decor shop near Weymouth Bay.

Maybe it was cowardly of her, Regina admitted, but she did not feel like facing Robin again quite so soon, not after so helplessly falling apart n his arms last night. She needed time to regain her emotional balance, and this was the perfect solution. At least she could avoid him for a couple of days.

Her car was parked at the end of the drive, the case with their clothes was in the back, and they were almost ready to leave.

Regina glanced around, it was a beautiful crisp autumn morning, the sun was shining, and she took a deep breath, her spirits rising. She was warmly dressed in a purple sweater and grey trousers, her cashmere jacket was already in the car, and she glanced at her son.

"Roland, have you got everything? Your boots?" she asked, and she smiled as he nodded,"Good, then we can go." Holding open the rear passenger door, she watched as he tightened his grip on the boots in one hand and his bag of toys in the other.

Suddenly the roar of a car engine shattered the silence and she froze, but with a glance up the road she recognized Jefferson's red Ferrari and heaved a sigh of relief. The car drew to a growling halt and Jefferson leapt out and strolled towards her, a huge smile on his attractive face.

"Hello, Regina, Roland my favorite godson," He gave Roland a high five. "Going fossil hunting I see." It was Jefferson who had introduced Roland to the hobby, and given him the small bag that contained his child size toys.

"Yes," Roland grinned happily up at Jefferson, and then moved to place his things on the floor of the car.

"How are you, Regina?" Jefferson asked, his blue gaze resting on her.

"Fine." She smiled as he looped and arm around her shoulders.

"You don't look it. Dark circles under the eyes...what have you been up to?" he joked.

"Nothing m-" But the roar of another car engine drowned out her response.

Unbelievable. She groaned as the black Bentley coming from the opposite direction swerved across the road to pull up a foot in front of the Ferrari, effectively blocking her drive.

Robin Locksley was not in the best of moods. The first call he had made after discovering Roland was hit son yesterday had been to August, the head of the security firm that guarded the Locksley family, to arrange for his operative John to watch over Regina and Roland, with a few added precautions. One of which had been to inform him if they left their home. He had no intention of letting Regina run out on him again. Which was why, when he'd received the call this morning in the middle of breakfast, he had left immediately. And had arrived, from what he could see, was just in time.

Regina with her long hair swept back in a ponytail was wearing a figure hugging purple sweater and grey pants, looking stunning, and his body reacted with instant enthusiasm even as he frowned at the sight of her companion.

What the hell was Jefferson Hatter doing here so early? And with his arm around Regina...Whatever they had going before, Robin did not want to know. But as of last night, Regina was going to be his again, and the sooner the man understood that the better.

He would have the mother of his child, and his child in the process.

He let none of the anger show as he stopped his car and got out.

Regina tensed, her dark eyes widening as Robin exited the car. He was wearing the same black leather jacket from yesterday, and underneath it was a blue shirt. His long legs were in blue denim jeans, and if anything he looked more attractive than he had ever before. Maybe because a vivid memory of him standing naked in his bedroom, his great body stark naked, his bronzed skin gleaming moist in the aftermath of sex, flashed inconveniently into her mind.

She shook her head to try to forget that memory.

Jefferson bent his dark head to murmur in her ear,"Ah, now I understand the dark circles." Straightening, he called out as Robin walked towards them,"Good Morning, Robin Locksley, I believe. You are a long way from home, old man."

Regina was expecting fireworks as Robin approached, but she could not have been more wrong. He stopped a foot in front of them.

"Hello, Regina," He gave her a brief frowning glance before dropping gracefully to his haunches and adding,"Hello, Roland." his frown vanishing as he grinned at the boy.

Regina glanced down at he two heads almost on a level and heard her son's joyful response. Her gaze wandered to where the faded denim of Robin's jeans was pulled taught across his muscular thighs, outlining his sex in stark detail. Hastily she looked away, appalled at where her thoughts were taking her, and was relieved when Robin stood up and turned his attention to Jefferson.

"Good Morning, Jefferson Hatter, isn't it?" He returned Jefferson's greeting.

For a long moment Regina simply stared at the scene before her. They were like two stags at bay, both big and powerful males, leaders of the pack. She recognized the macho confrontation. But then to her amazement Robin held out his hand to Jefferson. who automatically slipped his arm from her shoulders and took the offered hand.

Robin nodded his head in the direction of the road.

"Nice car you have there, Hatter, the latest model Ferrari," Robin said.

To Regina's astonishment, both men turned to admire the red car.

"I took delivery of the same model two weeks ago, but I have not had a chance to drive it yet. How does it handle?" Robin asked.

For the next five minutes Regina might as well have been invisible, and in one way she was grateful. The spectacle was surreal, and she shook her head to dispel her wayward thoughts and simply watched, speechless, as Jefferson and Robin, with her beloved Roland in tow, strolled to the side of the road. Roland was allowed to sit in the passenger seat of the Ferrari while the men entered into a serious discussion, she presumed on the relative merits of the cars.

By the time they returned to her Jefferson and Robin appeared to be friends, and Roland had a serious case of dual hero worship.

"Mum, Robin has a new Ferrari the same as Uncle Jefferson at his family's home in Ireland. Do you think we can have a new car soon?" her son asked, casting a disdainful look which reminded Regina startlingly of his father at her old Mini Cooper, then a hopeful look up at her.

"Yes, of course you can. I'll buy you a new one," Robin answered before Regina could open her mouth. "I gave that car to your Mum for Christmas long before you were born. I'm amazed she still has it." He gave Regina a mocking smile that was enough to make her blood pressure rise along with her anger.

"Did you really?" Jefferson inserted. "You never told me that, Regina." And after a shrewd glance at the two adults he finally grinned. "Obviously I had it wrong about you two." Patting Roland on the head, he said,"Have a good time, sport, I'll see you later. And good luck Robin." Then his blue eyes held Regina's for a moment. "Have a good day, Regina. I'll be in touch." And he left.

Reeling in shock that first Roland and now Jefferson had fallen for Robin's easy charm, Regina bitterly resented the fact, never mind his revelation about her car and his audacity in saying he would provide a new one.

"What did you say to Jefferson?" she demanded of the tall figure beside her.

"I told him the truth, I spent an informative evening with you last night, and thanked him for being a good godfather to my son," Robin shrugged his broad shoulders.

He didn't see the need to inform Regina of everything they had discussed. Jefferson had been hostile at first, and had brought up his wanting Regina to terminate her pregnancy. Robin had told him bluntly exactly what he had actually said to Regina at the time. He had then suggested man to man that the mind of a woman was a mystery to most logically minded males, and the interpretation they could put on a few words might be totally illogical and contrary to what a guy meant. Jefferson had agreed with him, but somehow Robin knew repeating the conversation to Regina would almost certainly end with her calling him a male pig again, and he didn't need the hassle.

He had enough of a problem trying to persuade her to his way of thinking as it was. He had thought last night that their sexual chemistry would be a stepping stone in the right direction, but no such luck. He realized she did not trust him an inch, and until she did he was never going to get to see Roland.

Last night he ahd called his British lawyer and told him the whole story, and Regina's take on it. In his opinion Robin had little chance of winning custody of his son in an English court unless he could prove that she was a totally unfit mother, which from what Robin had told him she was not. She was a respectable school teacher, financially viable, who owned her own home and had an aunt as a built in babysitter. Robin didn't have a leg to stand on. The lawyer's advice was to reach an amicable arrangement with Regina if possible, and if not then to get the pair of them to Ireland. He stood a much better chance in an Irish court.

He knew she wanted him, he had felt it in their kiss last night, and once he got her to trust him a little it should be no problem getting her to visit Ireland and agree to marry him. With that in mind, he wasn't going to give her the chance to argue."Regina, you go and get the things you need out of your car and put them in mine, while I put Roland in his seat. He'd told me we are going out for the day, and my car will be much more comfortable for all of us." Robin gave her a brief smile and saw the fury in her eyes. Looking down at Roland, he added,"Isn't that right, Roland?" He wasn't above using his son to back him up, and taking the boy's hand, he headed for his car.

Regina, her face scarlet with embarrassment and anger, simply stood open mouthed at the turn of events. She was furious with Robin's arrogant assumption that he could take over her plans for the day. Fighting with Robin in front of her son would only result in Roland resenting her interference. Maybe that was what Robin was hoping for? Biting her lip, she retrieved her jacket, the bag and boots from her car. She locked the car and closed the gates behind her and slid into the back seat of the convertible without saying a word. Then to her horror Roland piped up...

"Mum, you've forgotten the case with all our stuff for the weekend."

Robin glanced over his shoulder, his blue gaze narrowed. "I thought you had planned just a day out? Roland said we are going hunting for dinosaurs, not something I have done before. But the whole weekend sounds much better. Where exactly were you planning on staying?" he asked.

"In our caravan by the sea. You can stay with us if you like. Can't he, Mum?" Roland spoke up yet again.

"No, Roland we are only going for the day now," she said through gritted teeth. "Robin is a very important man, and we could not possibly impose on his time for more than a few hours," she said, sarcasm lacing her tone as she shot her nemesis a filthy look.

"No, Regina I could not possibly deprive you of a weekend away. I have time to spare and would love to spend it with you both."

"Isn't that great, Mum?" Roland asked, and after her brilliant son had informed Robin the caravan was huge, with two bedrooms, and a sofa that mad a bed, she did not even have the excuse that there was no room for the manipulative devil. Robin smiled as he got the keys from her and got their suitcases.

Soon after they were off, Regina sat in silence in the back while Roland and Robin talked on and on during the ride. Once they arrived, Robin parked the car while he went to go get the pass for them. Next he drove them to the caravan and then Roland was showing him around the park, as he held onto Robin's hand. They enjoyed a nice dinner in the park, looking like a nice little family.

That night, Regina had just put Roland to bed, leaning forward, she brushed a few curls from his brow and dropped a soft kiss on his cheek. Standing up, she squared her shoulders and quietly left the room.

She walked into the small corridor and headed into the living area, Robin was sitting on one end of the sofa, Robin looked up as she walked out and said,"Roland asleep?"

"Yes. I'm going to go make a cup of tea and go to bed," Regina said.

"It is only eight and avoiding the issue of Roland will not make it go away. Come and join me for a glass of champagne and try behaving like the intelligent woman you are instead of running scared all the time," Robin said.

"Robin," Regina began.

"We have to talk, Regina. Roland is our son, and you have done a great job raising him. He is bright, intelligent, and loving boy all because of you, but he does need his father, more and more the older he gets. There will never be a better time than now to discuss his future," Robin said.

He handed her a glass of champagne to her, his fingers touching hers as he did so,"I have no idea of pouncing on you, Regina. I have a great day with the two of you today."

"You wore him out, which is some accomplishment." Regina sank onto the sofa."Actually, you surprise me. You were very good with him, and he seems to like you."

"Thank you for that, Regina," Robin said. "I have plenty of experience with my sister's children. She had four now, two girls and two boys. When Roland comes to Ireland I know his cousins will be thrilled, and his Aunt Ana and Uncle William, will adore him. And my father, who is recently divorced again, seeing Roland will make his life complete."

"Maybe some day," Regina said.

"Maybe is not good enough, Regina," Robin said. "I want him to know his father's side of his family. He needs to know I'm his father and tomorrow I'm going to tell him."

"No, it's too soon for that, he needs more time to know you," Regina said as she saw Robin leaning in closer to her.

Unable to resist the temptation, he brushed his lips gently against hers. Her head fell back against the curve of his shoulder, exposing her slender throat, and her hand dropped on to his thigh. Regina looked up at him, all soft and willing, her lips slightly parted, and he could not resist lowering his head again and licking the lush outline of her mouth, before allowing his tongue to dip inside and lightly stroke hers.

Then he withdrew to trail kisses down the elegant length of her throat. "I swore I would not do this again."

Regina opened her eyes and looked at him,"You're not doing anything. I am." She reached out and removed his shirt and started to stroke his body, rediscovering the pleasure of tracing each muscle, the slightly abrasive feel of his soft body, the hard male nipples.

Robin wasted no time and took them to her bedroom, and in a matter of minutes they were on her bed, their clothes off. Robin started to caress his erotic exploration of her body, his strong hands cupping her breasts and sliding lovingly down to the shape of her waist, her hips, her thighs, her legs, she was swept away in a flood of sensuality so powerful she could barely breathe.

He dipped his head to lightly kiss her rigid nipples and the scar on her belly as his hands trailed back up over her inner thighs, expert fingers seeking the folds of her tender flesh that guarded the center of her core.

The ache, the fire deep within, burst into a flame of desire so potent she shook with the force of her need, involuntarily parting her legs as his long fingers glided between the velvet lips, teasing and tormenting the warm, wet, sensitive core until she became a slave all over again to the agonizing pleasure his touch aroused, her slender body taut as a bowstring, trembling on the brink.

"So hot, so sweet, and so ready," he rasped, and withdrew the delightful caress of his fingers. His mouth trailed kisses up over her breasts, her helplessly arched throat, and finally covered her swollen lips, his tongue mimicking the act of possession before swooping lower to capture an aching nipple to tease and suckle.

She raked her hands down his broad back in mindless need. She wanted him there between her legs, filling her...completing her...

A whimpering cry escaped as his strong hands lifted her and he eased his taut body totally over her and into the cradle of her hips. She felt the rock hard strength of his against her and squirmed as the smooth dome of his erection slid between her trembling thighs, teasing her with short, delicate strokes, rubbing against the tiny nub hidden there until she was desperate. But still he would not be hurried.

"Please," she begged, and only then did he thrust slowly into her hot, pulsing silken center.

She clung fervently to him, locking her long legs around his back as he lifted her higher and plunged deeper and deeper with each powerful thrust, filling her, stretching her, until the awesome power of his possession flung her into a whirlpool of spiraling passion and her whole body convulsed in a mindless, blissful release.

Robin's skin was drawn taut over his cheekbones as he battled for control. He felt her lush body convulse around him, and with one last thrust his supreme effort of control was shattered as the inner muscles of her sleek, tight body drained the very essence from him in a prolonged, earth shattering mutual climax.

Regina felt his full weight relax on her, his head buried in the curve of her neck, and with the tremors in her body finally subsiding she didn't care. Her eyes drifted closed. Languorous in the aftermath of making love, she stroked her hands lazily up his broad back, relishing the feel of his sweat slicked skin, the heavy rasp of his breathing. It was the first time all over again, slow and tender and Robin was hers.

Regina opened her eyes as she realized her mistake.

Robin wasn't hers!

Oh Gods! What had she done?


	7. NOT AN UPDATE, JUST A NOTE!

You chose to make this personal,

You think because you want to call it constructive criticism, that it's okay to attack someone. Why don't YOU write then? CelticOutlaw78/AngstyLady/JazzyDara/ If it's really that easy then I'm waiting on you to write your very first story! You also want to attack someone for mistakes, yet you don't dare to write because as you once told me that your anxiety wouldn't allow you to. Have you done beta reading for someone? Have you offered to? You're the one who truly needs to mature. If you didn't like the story why come back to it to begin with? You really have anger issues with Adam and that's fine, but I'm not the one who killed Robin. And as Tina said why don't you allow someone to answer you instead of just hiding?

And FYI, but your original review I left and it was constructive criticism. But then you went and made it personal and childish and put your anger out on what happened to Robin on me. And another point is you didn't even let me get to the meat of the story before blasting me. You didn't give me another chapter before I was going to start having Robin realize how wrong he was. Make him realize all the mistakes he made, but then again I guess no one is perfect but you. You never do wrong as always. As far as your comment on how I wrote Robin and Regina as OOC, in your own words an AU is about writing them as you see fit. Did you go to DOA when Tina wrote it and complain there when it was Cora who was a good person?

I did get a little laugh how you had to go after some mistakes, and about firing my beta...when your tweet says to Sean about needing HEP instead of HELP...maybe you need to fire the one who tweeted that? People make mistakes everyday, oh wait not you though, how silly. OMG I have mistakes, the world will end in 2016 because of it, ahhhhhh lol. But you keep targeting Adam and calling people idiots everyday.

Sorry to those who were expecting a chapter, but I've had enough of people being like this because Adam killed Robin. And seriously, why would you want Sean on a show where he's not being used? He deserves better than that show.


	8. Chapter 8

_**(A/N-Special thanks to Bekki for beta reading this. And ty Lynn, you're an amazing person, never forget that. Special thanks to those who read, review, follow, and fav.)**_

Early, the next morning Regina walked outside and got some much needed air. She had laid there beside Robin for a few moments this morning. Once she was assured he was asleep she had grabbed her gown and thrown a robe over it. How had she allowed what happened between Robin and her? Was she truly that foolish? She hated Robin and yet had fallen under the spell of his sensual expertise is exactly the same way as she had years ago. She had loved him then, but now she had no excuse.

Robin Locksley was her weakness, always had been and apparently always would be. But now was different, now she had her son to put first. Roland was her priority, had been since she had found out that he was with her still.

She heard the door open behind her, and turned to see Robin stepping outside. He slowly walked up to her. He was only wearing his pajama bottoms and shoes. "Well, that was one way to communicate."

She avoided his teasing gaze. This was her problem when Robin was around, he only had to look at her and she was aware of him in the most basic way. Touch her, kiss her, and she fell like a ripe plum in his lap.

"I know you enjoyed every second of what we just shared, Regina, as much as I did. So surely now we can discuss the future sensibly?" Robin said.

"You and I have no future. This was a mistake," she said and looked at him again, which was another mistake. Helplessly, she swept her gaze over him, standing tall, his great body gleaming golden in the early morning light. She had almost forgotten how good he looked like this, the wide shoulders and broad chest, the narrow hips, strong thighs, long legs. He took her breath away, and quickly she glanced away.

"You should put more clothes on before coming out," Regina said.

"You never used to be such a prude, Regina," He chuckled, and strolled across to where she stood.

"I'll be so glad when you are gone," Regina murmured.

"I am not going anywhere without Roland. I have booked into the local pub for as long as it takes to persuade you. I want to take him home to meet my father," Robin explained.

Regina stared up at him and saw by the expression on his handsome face that he was deadly serious, not a hint of amusement lingering in his eyes.

"That is not going to happen," she said bravely, but inside she was quaking like a leaf with fear at the prospect of losing Roland. "You've had your fun, Robin. So go finish getting dressed, and leave." Regina was drained, yet her own innate honesty forced her to admit she was more sensually alive than she had been in years. How had he got to her so quickly? she wondered. Five years of celibacy could do that to a woman, she supposed. Especially with a super stud like Robin Locksley.

"Though on second thoughts a dose of pneumonia might get you of my life," she muttered.

"Not a very nice sentiment to the father of your child, and not worthy of the Regina I knew, with the loving eyes and tender heart."

Surprised she glanced at him, but if he thought he could sweet talk her simply because they'd had sex he was wasting his time. She was about to tell him this, but then she could not help admiring the play of muscles in his chest and abdomen as he stood there. Regina was bothered with herself that she had fallen under his charms again, yet she could not deny the lingering warmth inside her, the musky male scent of him in her nostrils.

"I love my son, above all else. Roland is a delightful, happy, and open hearted boy, loved by those around him, and there is no way I am going to let a cold, emotionally cutoff man like you come between us."

"You seem to forget he is my son as well," Robin prompted.

"Unfortunately, I can't forget...And I concede you are right in as much as we do need to talk."

"Seeing some sense at last," he stared, and moved closer.

Regina lifted her arm and held her hand out palm in rejection, "Wait, hear me out," she demanded. "I will tell Roland you are his father when I think he is ready, and I am willing to allow you to visit him, but under my rules."

Robin was about to make a few remarks to that, but they were unfortunately interrupted.

"Well look what we have here," a voice said from behind them. A voice Robin knew all too well and suddenly dreaded hearing, right here, right now. He instinctively stepped in front of Regina as if to shield her from what was to come.

"Mikhailov," Robin said. Dimitri Mikhailov was someone who had wanted to do business with Robin but he had wanted nothing to do with the man. The man was notorious for his shady business dealings.

"You're a hard man to find alone," Dimitri said as behind him, some of his body guards came out. There were at five of them with Dimitri now.

Robin mashed his lips together, he was heavily outnumbered. He had wanted to have some alone time with Regina and their son, and had foolishly left his own security team behind. He would have to come up with something brilliant to get Regina to safety.

"We can have a meeting in an hour," Robin offered.

"We'll meet right here, right now," His heavy Russian accent coming through. "Though, now that I see why you're here," his eyes locked on Regina standing behind Robin, "I see why you were distracted."

"Let me get her back into the caravan and we can talk," Robin said as he started to walk Regina to the door. They were stopped by Dimitri's men standing in their way.

"And let such a delectable dish out of our presence?" Dimitri asked as he walked up to Robin and Regina.

"Mikhailov, we can discuss business alone," Robin said. He didn't like the way Dimitri's eyes lingered on Regina.

"Why don't you go on in the caravan and let me discuss 'business' with your woman," Dimitri said as he went to grab Regina's arm, but Robin slapped his arm away.

"Keep your hands off of her!" Robin demanded.

"Grab him!" Dimitri said as three of his bodyguards grabbed Robin. Robin for his best effort kept this off him for the longest, but he was simply outnumbered. They held his arms immobile to face Dimitri. Regina, seeing the situation, tried to pull one of the men off of Robin, she even tried raking her nails into one of their eyes but another one pulled her off the other and held her with her arms behind her back to also face Dimitri.

"Let her go! What your business is, is with me!" Robin had to get her out of this situation. He didn't care what happened to him, his main focus was on Regina's safety. And their son's!

"We'll finish our business, Locksley," Dimitri said as he went to Regina, and took a lock of her hair between his fingers, "But first, I want to discuss business with her. And what is your name?"

Regina pulled her head back from him, he then went and let one of his fat fingers slid down her cheek, "Good, very good. I like a woman with some fire."

"You bastard!" Robin yelled as he tried his very best to get loose. He wasn't about to let him touch her, not with him here. But he was no match for the three of them, they held him firm as Dimitri walked over and smiled at him before punching him in the gut, making Robin bend over and cough loudly.

"Regina! My name is Regina!" Regina called out trying to distract the man away from Robin.

"I warned you that I would make you regret not making a deal with me," Dimitri said, "but no loss now. As my business with this one will be much sweeter."

"Mama?" Roland's small voice was heard. The adults all turned to look at Roland standing there in his pajamas and a stuffed flying monkey under his arm as he held the door open.

"Oh, Roland, go back inside and go back to sleep," Regina tried to get her son out of this situation.

"Now, who is this?" Dimitri asked as he walked from Regina to little Roland.

"Stay away from him!" Regina's mommy protective mode kicked in, and she tried kicking and squirming to get away from her captor.

"Now, just from my observations, but I'm going to assume this adorable little boy, is your son Regina?" Dimitri asked.

"Yes," Regina answered.

"I see, I see. And just who is this little one's papa?" Dimitri asked as his gaze went to Robin.

"I don't have a daddy," Roland said.

"Is that so?" Dimitri remarked as his eyes were still on Robin, who stood stone faced, "Terrible thing not having a daddy, little one."

"Leave his out of this," Robin said.

"And what is your name, little lad?" Dimitri asked, completely ignoring Robin's words.

"Roland, get back!" Robin called out loudly. His father's protective mode was in full strength, as his son was in danger now as well.

"Mama, I'm scared!" Roland's bottom lip quivered. Regina struggles intensified as did Robin's, both of them trying to get to their little boy.

"Now, now," Dimitri said as he put his hands under Roland's arms and picked him up effortlessly. Robin's heart stopped as he saw his son in that monster's arms.

"Dimitri, don't," Robin said.

"I would never harm, this adorable little boy," Dimitri said as he walked up holding Roland in his arms to Regina, "As long as his adorable little mother acts right."

Regina felt her heart in her throat as she looked at her son, "I'll do whatever, leave my son alone."

"Ah, but you see, I've just had a more interesting thought," Dimitri said as he turned around and walked around, still carrying Roland. Robin and Regina's eyes were locked on Dimitri with their son.

"I'm going to let you choose, Locksley," Dimitri said.

"What?" Robin asked as he looked from Roland to Regina.

"Choose, Locksley. Which one stays with you, and which comes with me?" Dimitri asked as he patted Roland's head with his hand.

"I'm not going to let you take either of them," Robin said.

"And just how are you going to stop me?" Dimitri asked.

Robin didn't have an answer. How could he stop him? But he knew he couldn't let him have his son or the woman he loved. Yes, he loved Regina. The thought alone of her in Dimitri's presence was enough to make him want to throw up.

Regina saw the turmoil on Robin's face, and knew what she had to do. "He chooses Roland," she muttered out. She kept her gaze on Roland's sweet face, now knowing when, or even if she would see her little boy again.

"Regina, NO!" Robin yelled, but knew in his head it was the only decision they could make.

"Mama," Roland whimpered out.

"Please, let me speak to my son, please," Regina begged Dimitri, who slowly smiled and lowered Roland to the ground. And with a nod to the thug who was holding her, he let her go and went to Roland immediately. She picked her son up in her arms, and hugged him tightly to her.

"Mama, what's wrong? Why are you squishing me?" Roland asked.

Regina went to her knees holding Roland, and she pushed his curls from the sides of his face and took his face between her hands, "Roland, I want you to listen to me very carefully. I'm going to go away for just a little while," she stopped as his bottom lip started quivering and tears came to his eyes,"Shh, shh. It's alright, because you remember Mommy's friend, Robin?" she nodded towards Robin, "he's going to take real good care of you while I'm gone."

"But why do you have to leave?" Roland asked.

"I'm going to help Robin's friend here, for a few days, then I'll come back to you," Regina said.

"You promise?" Roland asked, as a tear left his eye and travelled down his cheek.

"I promise," Regina said as she wiped that tear and hugged him, kissing his forehead.

"Roland, I want you to be on your best behavior for Robin," Regina said.

"I will, Mama, I promise," Roland said.

"Take her to the car," Dimitri said as two of his men came towards them, Regina moved Roland and made him go to Robin, who was released as Roland came near him. Robin picked his son up immediately in his arms and watched as Regina was walked towards a black car. He watched as the door was opened and she turned and looked at Robin and Roland. She was ushered inside and Dimitri smiled as he started walking.

"Dimitri," Robin called out as he set his son down and walked the few steps ,"You touch her, and I'll kill you."

"Is that so?" Dimitri asked with a laugh, "You're welcome to try."

Robin watched as Dimitri went to the car where Regina was in, and got in and in a few seconds he was left standing there holding his sweet little boy.

"I miss Mama," Roland said.

"Me too, me too. I promise you, I will get her back to you very soon," Robin said, making a promise not just to his son but also to himself.

He would find Regina, kill Dimitri, who dared to threaten Regina, and their son. He would also try to make amends on how he had messed up their past. And how he, with his stupid decisions and just pure arrogance had stolen from himself, his son's first few years of life. It had taken someone threatening those who he loved to make him realize how pigheaded he had been.

Well, not anymore!

Once Robin got Regina back, he would get his family back.

Once and for all!

* * *

(Okay, so this chapter starts Robin realizing how arrogant he has been towards Regina. It won't end here, I assure you.)


	9. Chapter 9

**_(A/N-Special thanks to my beta Bekki for beta reading this, I can never thank you enough boo. And thanks to all who read, review, follow and fave this story. You guys are amazing!)_**

Once Robin had a crying Roland settled in the caravan, he found his phone and made several phone calls. One to do a search for the car that had taken Regina, his men were well trained in their jobs. Within an hour Robin had Roland in a SUV, in a car seat and they were traveling to a house that Robin had rented until he could find Regina. He had his best men out there now searching, but it still didn't ease his worry.

He knew Dmitri's obsessive ways, and he hated that he had put Regina out there like a piece of cheese in front of a very hungry mouse. He should have taken Regina and their son to a house, until they could come up with some solution to the mess they, he'd made.

Robin had put Roland in a bed, right after he had fed him and promised him again that he would bring his mother back home to him.

"Is that man going to hurt, Mommy?" Roland asked once they arrived at the house Robin rented.

Robin bent down to look into his son's eyes, eyes that reminded him of his son's mother. The woman he had put in danger, not willingly today. "I promise you, Roland, I will get your Mommy back and she won't be hurt."

Robin hoped so anyways.

Half an hour later, his lead man John walked into the house, "Is the boy asleep?"

"He is, have you found anything out yet?" Robin asked.

"Nothing, it's like he has completely disappeared like magic," John said.

For a second, Robin lost all strength. He sank down into a chair, dragging his fingers through his hair, wishing that he could press his own skull hard enough to make it so that it wasn't so.

He looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "He won't...he won't really hurt her. He wants her too badly."

"Oh, God," Robin groaned.

"It will hurt you, but you'll still love her, no matter what he does," John breathed as he knew that his boss and friend was madly in love with Regina.

Robin looked up at him, shaking his head, "I'd love her no matter what. I'm afraid of what she'd do to herself if he-" Robin stood, no longer at a loss, no longer weak. He couldn't sit here another minute, not when Regina, who he loved, was out there.

"Watch my son, John," Robin said as he went to a locked metal suitcase and opened it up, he quickly removed two guns and put them in the holsters on the side of his hips.

"Robin, be careful," John said as he headed out after he looked on his son one last time, luckily sound asleep. He kissed his son's forehead before leaving. Once outside he got into a SUV and talked with his men on where they all had checked. It luckily paid off as the five men he had with him, one had gotten a lead and they were all off in getting to Regina in time.

Regina awoke, strangely enough to softness and comfort. She opened her eyes slowly. She was on soft bed at some house she didn't know. Her head was killing her. She started to rise.

Then she saw him. Sitting right by her side on the bed, faded dark eyes calculating.

"You're mine now," he laughed dryly.

"He'll come for you," Regina said.

"And he'll be shot down," he informed her.

"He's tough, not like you," Regina said defiantly.

"It won't make any difference for you," he said.

"You're a miserable bastard!" Regina yelled.

"Ah, such passion. Well, I will have a taste of it," He smiled. Regina inched back and tried to leap from the bed. His fingers wound around her wrist. God, he was strong! She tried to wrench free, tried to bite him. His hand came crackling across her face, dazing her. She tried to fight back that started to whirl before her. His hands were on her, ripping at her clothing.

"No!" She shrieked out.

He was laughing. Laughing because he was stronger, laughing because he could hurt her. She clawed at him, wiggled, fought. She felt his hands on her leg, felt his weight over her.

"No!" She shrieked, fighting wildly.

"Yes. Yes. Again and again and again. Until I break you, until you want to die. Until I bring his corpse in here and you stare into his eyes while I hurt you again."

"You are sick, you are evil!"

He smiled. "Yes."

He almost had her. She felt something rip. Felt his touch against the bare flesh of her upper thigh. She bit into his shoulder. He raged, striking at her again. The world began to spin. She was lost. She would want to die.

No. She didn't want death. She had Roland to live for. She wanted life! A life with her son. She would survive this and have life.

"Now..." Dimitri grated to her.

But it was then that she heard the gunfire.

They came like a storm. Robin and his men charged into the house. Robin would face a small army as well as the creature out of hell it had seemed he'd chased all his life, so he was glad of the company. He feared for his men, but he knew that a man had to do in life as his conscience dictated if he was to lead any kind of life at all, and so he had not tried to dissuade them long. He prayed for them, and he prayed for Regina. If he could get her back safely after this, he swore he would make up, or try to make up for the past.

He just prayed that she would withstand whatever torment Dimitri doled out to her, that she would have faith that he would come for her, not that he had given her much hope to have in him in their recent past. He just had to have faith in her own ability to survive, faith in life, faith in their son. Faith in their days that could stretch before them.

No matter how he prayed, he saw no visions. No matter what Regina's strength, she couldn't physically battle strong men when she carried no weapons to use against them. Dimitri wanted her, and he would want to hurt her on two fronts, one being to hurt her himself, and the other in knowing that how much it would hurt Robin, force Robin to feel the guilt that he had let Regina cross paths with a fiend such as him. He would take her by force without blinking. And it remained most frightening to Robin to wonder what desolation and despair she could fall to herself were Dimitri to take such action.

When he had just arrived at the house, Robin's thoughts were on one thing. Regina was in the house somewhere. Regina was in there. All that he had to do was get into the house, kill Dimitri and get Regina back to their son. That was all.

He carefully made his way through the house, he fired several times at some of Dimitri's men, killing a few and wounding a few others. He had lived his whole life for this moment, only to realize that he had never really lived. If he was ever to have the chance to do so, he must do more than win. He must win her as well. Fate had brought them all back full circle. Life had been lost, love had been lost, all because of his own stupidity and his insecurities. Now it was time to take it all back. To live. To love.

He came around to one room, where his heart stopped. He didn't know what fierce struggle Regina had already waged on her own. Her hair was loose, flowing in wild, dark tangles down her back and over her shoulders. One sleeve was nearly ripped from her. She dragged in every breath she took, yet did so carefully, with as little movement as possible.

Because she had been dragged to her knees at Dimitri's feet. One of his hands sat atop her head, his fingers threaded through her hair. With his right hand he held his gun with the barrel pressed flushed against her temple. Regina had certainly done some struggling, perhaps even some winning. There were long scratches on Dimitri's cheeks, just below his dark eyes.

"How rude, young man. Didn't anyone ever teach you that it was polite to knock?" Dimitri drawled.

"Are you alright, Regina?" Robin asked.

Dimitri smiled. His cold, inhuman smile that didn't touch his pale complexion. "Is she alright? She's on her knees at my feet boy. You're going to drop that gun right now before I blow off her head. Then she may be alright. Your life for hers."

"Robin! No!" Regina cried out as she saw him lowering his gun, but couldn't finish as she gave a little cry because Dimitri had tightened his grip mercilessly on her hair. "How touching. Both willing to trade their lives for the other."

Robin looked at her, as she stared back at him, pleading with him with her eyes. _Don't fall for it, he'll kill us both._

He'll kill her more slowly, of course, Robin knew. Then their son would be an orphan. He would finish what he'd been trying to start with her here, in this room. Do it with Robin's body still lying on the floor. Because there was something ungodly cold about the man. Something evil deep in his soul.

God, if he did try shooting Dimitri while he held Regina so closely, he would be taking a chance. How could he take a chance with Regina's life?

"The gun! Now!" Dimitri demanded.

Robin looked over the circumstances again, and lowered his gun.

"Kick it over here now," Dimitri said as behind Robin came another one of his men, Will.

"Now, you two, give me your gun as well," Dimitri said as Will looked at Robin who nodded.

"Good, very good," Dimitri said as he aimed his gun now at Robin.

"You're going to have to unload that gun on me, to make me not come after her," Robin said.

"I love you, Regina," he told her.

She smiled softly, heedless of Dimitri's cruel touch upon her.

"I love you, Robin."

She enunciated his name and he realized that she was saying far more to him than the words might tell. She loved him, and she had faith in him. In his ability. In the faith that he could fix this situation, and leave her alive. As he watched Will lowering his gun, Robin reached behind him carefully and pulled his other gun out. "Regina look at me." Regina kept her gaze locked with him.

"Don't be afraid...ever."

Robin fired.

* * *

There were dead men everywhere.

"Did we get them all?" Will asked another of Robin's men named, Tuck.

"Yes, though I think Robin got the majority of them, but he had the best reasons to do so," Tuck said. "Where are they?"

"In the back," Will said.

Robin and Regina were to the rear of the house, Robin seated on the bed, Regina in his lap. "Sweet God, I was scared to death." Robin was saying, passionately, his hands on her face, holding her, searching out her eyes.

"Roland. How is our son?" Regina asked.

Robin smiled softly at her use of 'our son', "He's fine. I have my best man guarding him, no one will get to him under John's watch. He'll be like an uncle to him."

"I have to apologize to you," Robin said.

Regina looked at him, confusion clearly marked on her face.

"I endangered your life, and our son's," Robin said. "I should have not followed you, instead I should have waited and made sure you were in a safe place before we had our talk."

"You couldn't have known he would follow you," Regina said.

"He's been making threats for weeks now, but I got distracted by a little boy and his mother," Robin said.

"So this is my fault?" Regina asked softly.

"Not in the slightest," Robin said. "I'm the one who has to apologize for the way I treated you in the past. I let a snake cloud my judgement and in the process I lost you, and I lost seeing our son's first few years."

Regina looked away from him, not being able to deny his words.

"Did he hurt you?" Robin asked as he moved one of his hands to her chin to make her look at him as he wanted an answer to this.

"Not so badly," Regina said.

"I was afraid of what you'd do to yourself if he would have, if he would have-"

"I knew you were coming," Regina said.

"Through hell itself!"

"For our son," Regina murmured.

"For you, and for him," Robin said, "For us."

"I want to hold my son," Regina said.

"Let's get out of here, then," Robin said as he rose from the bed with Regina in his arms, he carried her out of the room and passed the man who had kidnapped her, lying dead on the floor.

As they headed to the house where Roland was waiting, Robin looked over at Regina in the seat beside him. She was resting and more importantly, she was...safe.


	10. Chapter 10

(Thank you to Bekki for beta reading this,and all who read, review, follow, fave this story.)

On their way back, Regina fell asleep. Robin was content to watch her, she had been through enough, too much, mostly because of him. He had treated her horribly in their past, their present not too much better. But he would try his best to make up for his past mistakes. He wanted to be a better man for her, for their son. While she slept, he caught up with his calls, working solidly for the next hour. A few problems had arisen that he was going to have to attend to in London, he realized as he finally finished. He had not been out of the office for so long in years, and before that he had not been concentrating but wondering about Regina.

He wasn't going to waste any more time trying to talk with Regina. Tomorrow he was going to tell Roland he was his father. The young girl had morphed into an even sexier, sophisticated but stubborn woman. He would wait. She would come around to him, hopefully. He was not a conceited man, but endowed with brains, and wealth, especially wealth.

Finally, they arrived at the house to a very thrilled Roland.

"Mommy!" Roland yelled as she got out of the car.

She went to her knees and caught his small frame as his arms went around her neck, "Oh my sweet boy," she cried out. Thankful that she was able to hug her son again.

"I missed you, Momma," Roland said.

Regina let a few tears leave her eyes as she said, "I missed you, my little knight."

"You brought her back like you said you would," Roland said over her shoulder to Robin. Regina stood and held Roland in her arms as she turned to face Robin.

"I keep my promises, my boy," Robin said as his eyes locked with Regina's.

"Why don't we let your mother rest? She's had a very long day," Robin said.

"I'm fine, really," Regina said.

"You need some food and rest," Robin said.

"I can help make dinner," Roland offered.

"Well, I can't argue with that," Regina said as she turned and walked into the house, Robin following. Once inside Robin insisted she take a hot bath and relax while Roland and him fixed her something to eat. She had to admit the bath did help, and after it she went downstairs to find some soup and sandwiches along with some fruit for them.

They spent their first dinner together, Robin listening to Roland talk about how he liked John, his Uncle John, as Roland was calling him. Robin listened to his son, but kept his eyes on Regina often. He could tell she was exhausted and needed a long night sleep. He got out of his chair and went to Regina, and promptly picked her up in his arms.

"Come on sleepy head," Robin said.

"Robin! Put me down," Regina protested.

"You're carrying my Mommy, like she carries me at times," Roland said as he followed them upstairs.

"I bet she doesn't weigh too much more than you do, my boy," Robin said as he carried her up to her room, and placed her gently on the bed. "Please, get some sleep."

As she opened her eyes to start to speak, he put a finger on her lips, "Please. I would like for us to have a talk tomorrow, but for now you do need some more rest."

"But, Roland needs his bath still," Regina said.

"I'll do it," Robin said as Regina raised an eyebrow at him.

"What? How hard can it be to give a bath to a five year old?" Robin asked.

Regina could only stifle a laugh, smirking just a little. If only she wasn't so tired...

Robin turned to see that Roland was standing at the doorway, and leaned closer to her ear to whisper, "Please, for our son, rest."

Regina knew she couldn't fight her being so tired, her emotions completely drained. Tomorrow, they could talk about what they were going to do. She nodded her head, but looked over his shoulder at Roland, "A kiss, for sleep?"

Roland walked over to his mother's side, and with the help of Robin picking him up, kissed her on the side of her cheek, "Good Night, Mama."

"Good sleep, my little knight," Regina said.

"Robin?" Roland said as he helped him back to his feet. "Will you carry me to my bed too?"

"I will, after your bath," Robin said as he looked down as his son's hand came up, wanting him to hold it as they headed to the bathroom.

Half an hour later, Robin had changed his mind on how much trouble it was to give a bath to a little boy, not only was the bathroom a complete disaster, with water all over the floor. Robin himself was completely drenched.

"I'm sorry about the bath, Mama says it's like being on a fisherman's boat in a hurricane giving me a bath," Roland said as Robin finished drying him off and putting him in his pajamas, which had little bows and arrows on them.

"That's alright, we all make our own messes," Robin said, "as long as try to correct them, that it what defines us."

Roland nodded his little head up and down, as he helped Robin clean up the bathroom. When they were done, Robin picked him up in his arms, carrying him on the side of his hip as he took him to his own bed. He placed him gently down on the bed, much like he had his mother.

"Will you be here in the morning, Robin?" Roland asked.

"I promise you, I will be here when you wake up from your dreams," Robin promised his son as he leaned in and kissed his son's little forehead.

"Good night, Robin," Roland said as he closed his eyes.

"Good night, sweet boy," Robin said as he moved from the bed, and turned on a little night lamp that had chasing bows going around the room.

Robin walked to the doorway, and turned to look at his sleeping son. Thankful to have his mother and their little son safe and sound, and both under the same roof.

Robin went to the kitchen and cleaned it up, before pouring himself a drink and walking out onto the deck of the house. He saw John standing there, watching over the property along with some of Robin's other men.

"How are they?" John asked.

"Both are sound asleep, Regina is beyond exhausted," Robin said.

"And the little hobbit?" John asked.

"Completely fascinated with his new Uncle John," Robin said.

"Does he know you're his father yet?" John asked.

"No, but I want to tell him tomorrow," Robin said.

"How will she react to that?" John asked.

Robin smiled as he thought of how Regina might react, "Probably not well. But it needs to happen, he needs to know I'm his father. He needs to know me."

Regina woke up and groaned for a moment, not sure where she was. She forced her eyes open and realized she was in that home that Robin had brought her to. The memories of yesterday surfaced and she groaned again.

She sat up in the bed and glanced at the clock on the wall. Nine in the morning. It couldn't be...Roland was always up at the crack of dawn. Her first thought was that he might be ill. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she was about to stand up when Roland burst in.

"Mama! You're up! Robin said I had to let you sleep, but you have been asleep for ages. We went for a walk after breakfast," Roland informed her.

"You should have woken me up. You know you must not go anywhere without telling me," She was terrified at the thought Robin had taken Roland. He could have driven Roland off to heaven knew where, her worst nightmare.

"Robin said it was fine, because you were tired an needed rest."

Regina looked down at her son and saw the worried look in his eyes. She forced a smile. "Yes, it was okay, but don't do it again without telling me, hmm?" Planting a kiss on his brow, she straightened her shoulders, silently cursing Robin.

Only to find Robin was now standing at the foot of her bed.

"Good morning, Regina. I hope you slept well?" he asked in a deep husky tone, his blue eyes roaming over her with blatant masculine appreciation.

She swallowed hard and felt her breasts tighten beneath her sleep shirt. He looked so gorgeously male, wearing jeans and a blue sweater, and suddenly she was terribly conscious of the shortness of the sleep shirt on her.

"Yes," she muttered, pink cheeked with embarrassment and unable to look him in the eye. She tried to straighten the shirt, but only succeeded in revealing her hardened nipples to Robin's appreciative eyes.

"Mum, Mum, you will never guess!"

She was glad to turn her attention to Roland, "Guess what?" she asked.

"Robin told me at breakfast I have a daddy and he knows where he is."

Her body's reaction to having Robin in the room faded insignificant at his statement.

For a second Regina closed her eyes, her cheeks draining to a deathly shade of pale, and she wished the ground would open and swallow her up, or preferable Robin Locksley. She had known some day she would have to explain to Roland more fully about his father, her aunt had warned her often enough, but not like this, being forced into it. She opened her eyes to find Roland staring at her, positively buzzing with excitement. Slowly tilting back her head, she stared up at Robin.

"It came up in conversation, Regina, and I would not lie to the boy. But I did say we had to ask your permission first."

She met his not so innocent gaze, her dark eyes sparking with anger, "Big of you. Now, would you mind leaving while I dress?"

"But I want to know where my daddy is _now_."

Roland was adamant, and though it wasn't the way that she would have chosen to tell him, there was no way she was going to let Robin do it for her. Pride and anger stiffened her spine, and lifting Roland onto her lap, she stroked a few wayward curls from his brow.

"You know I said you didn't have a father because we had parted long before you were born? Well, Robin knows where you father is because, he is your father, Roland, and he found us."

Roland's mouth opened in a gasp, and he looked up at Robin, "Are you really my daddy?"

"Yes, Roland. Your mum and I lost touch, and I had no idea you existed until recently, when we met again and to my joy I discovered you were my son. I promise we will never loose each other again."

"Can I call you Daddy?" Roland asked tentatively, and Regina's heart ached for him and for herself.

"Yes, certainly, Roland. There is nothing I would like better in the world than to have you call me Daddy," Robin replied and when Roland put his arms up to Robin, he was more than happy to pick his son up for a hug.

Regina showered and dressed while Roland went with Robin for a swim in the pool in the backyard. She had only agreed to it after Robin had said they would walk down to the leisure center and with a sardonic look had left her the keys to his car. He knew she did not trust him yet with their son.

Pouring herself a drink, alone with her thoughts, Regina found her mind in turmoil. She feared for the future, Robin could give Roland anything money could buy, the lofty lifestyle of the fabulously wealthy, and all she had to give her son was a working mother and lots of love. The odds seemed to be stacked against her. She could not help but wonder if Roland would ever look at their small home the same way again, now that he was being exposed to the more exotic people and places his father knew.

The day went on with them sharing lunch and Roland asking Robin all sort of questions, he had the innocence of youth that accepted the man as his father, showing an ease and enthusiasm that made Regina feel guilty for keeping them apart for years and shamefully jealous. Roland was her son, and it was hard to accept she was no longer going to be the center of his universe but would have to share that position with Robin.

Robin had enthralled Roland with his talk of family and he was equally fascinated with Roland. The rest of the day was spent with the new acquainted father and son, talking about everything. Roland found out his father knew how to use a bow and arrow quite well. Robin promised that when Roland was older he would get him a bow and arrow set, after looking at Regina, he added, "If your mother approves."

Great, Regina thought, make her the bad guy. The evening started to roll in and after she gave him a bath he was fast asleep in his bed.

"He looks angelic when he is asleep, like a little cherub," Robin murmured.

"Yes."

Watching him staring down at Roland, seeing the gentle expression on his handsome face, softened Regina's heart. But it had hurt when Roland, his eyes gleaming with happiness, had kissed Robin and said, "Good night, Daddy."

"But he can be a devil sometimes, like his father," she responded bitterly and turning, she left the room, and went down the stairs.

She needed some coffee, and walked into the kitchen. She didn't know the creature she was turning into, because of Robin. Jealous of seeing her son kiss him and call him Daddy.

"Can I have a cup as well?" Robin's accent cut into her thoughts.

Regina didn't say anything, just poured him a cup and handed it to him. Their fingers brushed and she felt the electricity between them. He was standing much too close, watching her, and it had a disastrous effect on her nerves.

"Steady, Regina," he took one sip and smiled, a breathtaking grin that deepened the laughter lines around his sparkling blue eyes. "A very successful day, don't spoil it by covering me in hot coffee," he joked, and motioned for them to go and sit in the living room.

"We have a lot to talk about," Robin said as they both sat on the couch, inches apart but what felt like miles.

Successful for him, not for her. She wanted to ignore him and his talk, Robin was much too dangerous to her life, and to her emotional wellbeing, but she didn't really have a choice.

"So discuss, but make it fast. It has been a long day," she said, "and I'm tired."

"I know you are, you still look it," Robin said as he stretched out a hand and flipped the end of a long hair over her shoulder, brushing her neck as he did so.

The touch of his hand had made the hair on the back of her neck prickle and her body tingle, a state she had been in pretty much all since Robin's return. "Excuse me for not reaching your high standard of elegant designer clad painted ladies, but then I never aspired to."

Damn it all to hell! Robin's mouth tightened. A tender gesture and a concerned comment on his part and she was bristling with outrage again. "I don't care what you wear, in fact naked works for me. In two days I have to be back in London, we'll be leaving in the morning."

Regina rose to her feet. She had listened in mounting resentment to his plan, and now she was furious at the stuck up arrogant devil trying to tell her what to do.

"No." She gave him a filthy look. "I am not going with you, neither is Roland, until I decide the time is right. You have got your way so fast. Roland knows you are his father, and you will have to be content with that. Now, if you are done, I'm going to bed," Regina said as she stood up.

Robin quickly went to his feet. "We have much to discuss still."

For a few seconds Regina stared at Robin. She had vowed never to let him hurt her again, and the simmering anger and resentment she had felt for years erupted. This was her life and she didn't have to justify her actions to any man, certainly not to Robin Locksley, the egotistical male chauvinist before her.

She titled back her head, her dark eyes blazing, "You wrecked my life and I will not allow you to do the same again."

"I messed up in the past, but I am trying to learn from them and never repeat them," Robin said. "Give me a second chance, Regina. Please."

"Roland is my priority," Regina said.

"Mine as well, as are you," Robin said as he moved his body closer to her, lowering his head close to hers.

"It wasn't when you wanted me to abort him when he was still in my womb!" Regina fired at him.

"You can fling out that old accusation of me not wanting a child, Regina," he murmured against her ear, lightly biting on the small lobe, and he heard the audible intake of her breath as he added, "And of wanting you to have a termination. You can keep telling yourself you still believe such a crazy idea but the only person you are fooling is you."

Regina's will snapped and before she knew it, she slapped him across the face.

"Please don't do that again," Robin said.

"Or what? You'll hit me back?" Regina said, already knowing he would never do such.

"Of course I wouldn't hit you," Robin said. "What type of man do you take me for?"

"A smug bastard!" Regina said as she raised her hand to slap him again, but he stopped her by grabbing her wrist.

"Let go of me!" Regina yelled, trying to pull free from him.

"Stop hitting me, and calm down," Robin said.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Regina said.

"Then act like someone who can have a discussion without hitting someone," Robin said as she stopped struggling. Robin let go of her, only to have her try to slap him again.

"You like it the hard way, fine, I'll give it to you the hard way," Robin said as he sat down on the couch, pulling her down across his upper thighs as she struggled to get off his lap.

"You let go of me, Robin Locksley!" Regina yelled as she tried and tried to get away.

"You're acting like a child," Robin said as he raised his hand up and spanked her.

"You spanked me!" Regina cried out, it didn't hurt, just slightly sting.

"Children get spanked at times," Robin said as he spanked her again, then a third. As his hand was about to descend one last time, they heard a voice say.

"Daddy, why are you spanking Mama?" Roland's sleepy face was standing only a few feet from them.


	11. Chapter 11

(A/N-Special thanks to Regal Bekki for beta reading this. And thank to those who read, review, and follow. Also special thanks to itsmeBadetski, for all your encouragement and kinds words. Enjoy.)

* * *

"Was she bad?" Roland asked his father innocently.

Regina, who had been frozen for a little while, now was squirming even harder to get off Robin's lap. "Roland, go back to your room and I'll be right there."

"Will Daddy kiss it and make it better?" Roland asked, causing his father to smirk, as he rubbed his hand on Regina's bottom.

"Most definitely, my boy. I promise you, I'll kiss it and make it better," Robin swore to his son. "Now do as your mommy asks and go back to your room."

Roland looked from his mom to his dad and then walked back to his room, "Let go of me!" Regina yelled at him.

"Shh, you don't want to scare our son do you?" Robin asked.

"Since when do you care?" Regina asked as Robin loosened his hold on Regina who got to her feet immediately.

"What do you mean?" Robin asked.

"You didn't care when I was pregnant with him. So why now?" Regina asked.

"I did care back then, I acted poorly in my treatment of you back then," Robin admitted. "I was a complete bastard to you. I put myself before you, before our child." He took a deep breath before he continued, "My actions are my own and I have only myself to blame, and for your obvious and justified hatred of me."

Regina listened to him, a part of her listening but the other half of her still quite angry with his treatment of her.

"I still would like to talk to you," Robin said.

"What? So you can spank me again?" Regina asked, intending for it to be sarcastically. But after looking into Robin's eyes, and the way they twinkled when she mentioned him spanking her again.

"As long as you don't slap me, even if I deserve it," Robin said.

"Then what would you suggest I do when you act like a horse's ass?" Regina asked.

Robin chuckled at her spunk. The old Regina would never have acted like this to him. This Regina was a bundle of fire; she was also a mother to their son, a mama bear. Always going to be protective of her offspring, even to him.

"Tell me, I'm a horse's ass, this time I'll listen," Robin promised her.

"Why should I believe you now?" Regina asked.

"Because there is a part of you that still wants to," Robin answered her confidently.

"Let me go check on Roland and I'll come back," Regina said as she quickly left the room to check on her-their son.

She knocked on the door lightly and walked in, smiling as she saw her little boy looking up at her. "Hello my darling."

"Are you and Daddy fighting?" Roland asked as he looked up into her eyes.

"No, my little knight. We were not, we were just having a little disagreement," Regina said as she moved a few curls out of his forehead.

"About what?" Roland asked.

Regina smiled down at her inquisitive child, "Nothing that needs concern you. And we will be fixing our disagreement tonight."

"Good. I like my Daddy," Roland said with a smile.

Regina just smiled at her son, no matter what happened now, there was a bond between Roland and his father. A bond that would last forever, they were alike in many ways, different in others. But every time she looked at her son, she would always think about his father.

"I'm glad you do, and you want to know a little secret?" Regina whispered to him. Roland eagerly nodded his little head.

"Your daddy loves you dearly," Regina told him. She knew that Robin loved Roland, very much. She couldn't help the smile that came across her face as Roland's mouth popped open and he had an expression of pure joy on his face.

"Really? Because I love him too, Mommy," Roland said.

"Well then tomorrow after breakfast you can tell him, okay," Regina said, she watched as Roland nodded then frowned when his smile started to fade. "Roland? What's wrong?"

"Mommy?" Roland started, "Do you love Daddy too?"

Regina took a deep breath before answering, "I do love your father, Roland. But there are things the two of us have to work through that have nothing to do with you. It's nothing you've done, it's just the two of us. We both love you very much, you remember that. Okay Roland?"

He nodded, "Do you think Daddy loves you too?" he asked.

"He told me he does," Regina answered. "We have a complicated past that happened before you were born. Now I want you to go to sleep, and I'll be here in the morning to make you breakfast."

"Will you make beignets?" Roland asked with a smile.

Regina chuckled at his excitement, "I sure will my darling. Just for you."

"Good night, Mommy," Roland said as he closed his eyes.

"Good night, my little knight," Regina said as she leaned in and kissed his forehead as she looked at him for a few moments before making her way back to where Robin was in the living room.

He was sitting on the couch with a drink in his hand, looking down into the drink. He looked up as he heard her walk back in. "He asleep?"

"On his way," Regina answered.

"Good," Robin said, "Will you please sit? I would like to ask a few questions."

Regina hesitated for a few seconds then went to sit beside him. She smoothed her clothes as she sat there. "Can I get you a drink?" Robin asked as he stood up to refill his.

"No," Regina answered.

Robin refilled his drink and came back to the couch, "I would like to ask you a few questions about Roland. His birth and all, if that is alright?"

Regina nodded, "What would you like to know?"

"How was the pregnancy? I mean after the miscarriage?" Robin asked, as he closed his eyes as he thought of that painful reminder.

"The rest passed uneventful, he was a week early," Regina answered.

"How were you the rest of the pregnancy?" Robin asked as he gazed into her eyes.

"Fine. It was tiring towards the end, he was always moving around and on my kidneys it felt like," Regina said as she smiled at the reminder of those days.

"And the birth? Was it...was it painful?" Robin asked as he knew of horror stories of women giving birth even these days.

"The contractions started during the middle of the night, I called my doctor and he told me to come in right away. I called a cab, the driver looked very nervous when he saw how pregnant I was," Regina said as she remembered the driver's expression.

"So he got you there in plenty of time?" Robin asked, smiling when she nodded. "Who was with you when you were in labor? Your aunt, a friend?"

"No one," Regina answered as she shifted on the couch.

"You were alone?" Robin asked.

"I had my doctor and a nurse there with me," Regina answered.

"You should have had someone," Robin said, thinking how unjust it was that she had been alone when giving birth to their little boy. He should have been there when she had given birth, but because of his being an ass, he had missed out on that important event.

"My Aunt Phoebe, came the very next day," Regina said.

"Was it...was it painful?" Robin asked.

"Oh yes, it felt like I was being split in half. My back hurt so much and my stomach cramped so hard," Regina said.

"Did they give you anything for the pain?" Robin asked, hating that she had been in so much pain.

"Yes, but he was in such a hurry to get here, it didn't have time to take effect," Regina said. "He came out screaming, his cries were so loud but oh so worth every painful contraction."

"How long were you in the hospital?" He asked.

"I was able to go home the next day," Regina said.

"You went to your Aunt's home?" Robin asked.

"Yes, we stayed there for a month before going home. I was so scared to have him all alone at my house," Regina said. "I don't think I slept much that first week. Actually I don't think I slept much until recently." She laughed at how she had gotten up to go to the bathroom, but would always go in and check on Roland. Sometime she would just stand by his cradle and look at him, watch him sleep and wonder what he was dreaming about.

"Were you the first to hold him?" Robin asked.

"Yes, after the doctor handed him to me," Regina answered. "He was beautiful, his little eyes looking up at me like that."

"Did you breast feed him or use a formula?" Robin asked. He knew the question was personal but he wanted to know every little aspect he had missed about their son's life.

"I nursed him, he always had a healthy appetite. When my milk was gone, I went to a formula, it took him awhile to adjust to the formula but eventually he did," Regina said.

"Did he have a first word?" Robin asked.

Regina nodded as she smiled, "Mama."

"Of course," Robin smiled as he continued, "What about his first step?"

"It was at Aunt Phoebe's house, he pulled himself up by a chair and took a tiny step, then another until he fell onto the floor. He didn't give up, he just kept trying until he was walking, then he was running. And I'm still running after him," Regina said, laughing.

"What about how he slept at night?" Robin asked.

"At the beginning he was a night owl, he loved staying up late," Regina said, "but eventually he started going to bed at a normal time and would sleep during the night."

"He's a charming little boy, you have done very well raising him like you did," Robin offered.

"I had no choice, as his father wasn't worthy of being around him," Regina said.

"I deserved that, but I'm trying to change here. For myself, for our son, and for you," Robin said.

"Don't you think it's a little late for that?" Regina asked.

"It's never too late, not for us," Robin said.

"After you just spanked me like you did?" Regina asked as she stood up with her hands on her hips, looking down at him.

"You slapped me, Regina. Say what you want but I didn't deserve to be slapped like that," Robin said as he too stood up.

"Maybe you are right on the slap, but that doesn't excuse how you have treated me. And I'm not talking about in the past, but recently too," Regina said.

"I apologize for being an ass to you again. But I'm really trying here," Robin said, "when I saw you being taken away from me by Dimitri, it caused something in me that I can't describe. But it made me realize how much I need you in my life, how I need you in my son's life. How I need you."

"And you expect me to just say, it's all good and hop back into bed with you?" Regina asked.

"No, I would like you to spend time with me, time with our son together. I would like to try to make this up to you in small ways. I don't expect you to forget everything I've done and said, how if I shouldn't have been so stupid, I would have been there through your pregnancy, through the birth of our son."

Regina looked at him, saw the sincerity of his words. But still, she had her guard up around him as much as she could.

"Can you forgive me?" Robin asked. "In time?"

"I'm...not sure," Regina admitted, "A part of me wants to, but not for me. For Roland."

Robin nodded as he looked at her, his heart in his eyes as he did so. He admired her for always putting their son above all else, even herself, her own feelings.

"He deserves to know the man you are now, not the man I left a few years back," Regina said.

"So you admit I've changed slightly," Robin remarked.

"Ever so slightly," Regina admitted. He wasn't the same arrogant ass he was five years ago, maybe a slight arrogant ass though.

"What made you change your mind, about me?" Robin asked.

"Call it insanity, call it..." Regina trailed off.

"Love," Robin finished for her, "I know it was the heat of the moment when Dimitri kidnapped you, but telling you I loved you was real. I would like to ask you if what you said was real as well."

Regina took a deep breath before answering him, it was time for her to be completely honest with him, "I love you. And I will probably always love you, nothing will change that. But I don't know if I can trust you again."

She saw the look in his eyes and knew he was about to start explaining to her how she could trust him, she turned and went to her room. She left the door open, because she knew he would follow her. Moments later, with her standing at the window she heard his footsteps as he walked into the room. He closed the door behind him.

She took a deep breath as she felt him slowly slip his arm around her waist and pull her close. "You can trust me, you did with our son. You trusted me to come and get you. And you trusted me to get you away from Dimitri."

Another hand started toward her face to lightly brush her cheek with only a finger. They leaned in, together, and their lips pressed gently at first, then stronger as the feeling intensified. Robin let his hand travel up her spine and her body pressed in tighter. They held fast, neither wanting to lose this moment. She pulled back and with closed eyes and whispered breath, she put her lips to his ear, "Now." They sink to the bed and the world outside disappeared. Now the night was about just the two of them and what they both desired to share. All they had was now.

She grabbed at his shirt, pulling it up and kissing his stomach. As she pulled it completely off, she pushed him onto his back and sat straddle of him and, smiling seductively, pulled off her own shirt. Robin massaged her legs, up and down her thighs when she leaned forward, making a motion to kiss him, but slipped past his lips and nibbled on his ear instead. Robin jerked involuntarily and she whispered in his ear, "I want you. More than anything tonight, I want you; I want to feel you inside me." She pulled back, their eyes locked, and this time he could see something that made his heart beat a little faster, he could see hope. Robin sat up, kissed her neck, and gently rolled her onto her back.

As Robin slid off her jeans, he slowly kissed the inside of her thigh, running his lips from the edge of her panties, down to her toes. She shivers. He switched and moved up the other leg, this time sliding his hands on the outside of her legs until he slowly caressed her butt. He kissed her stomach, moving higher and higher, next he kissed her breasts, ran his tongue around her nipples, higher and higher, up her neck, and finally to her waiting lips.

She threw her arms around his neck, but he carefully reached up, entwined her fingers with his, and pushed her hands back to the bed behind her head, where he held them fast. He removed his pants quickly, followed by his boxer briefs.

Her breathing was heavy and ragged and her body was writhing on the bed beneath him. She panted, "I...I can't take it anymore. Please..." and with one final, powerful kiss, he entered inside of her. She moaned instantly, her body already tensed and quivering.

They had the night, and there was no rush. Robin started slowly and simple, with measured, rhythmic thrusts. She moved her knees up and then wrapped her legs around the small of his back. Her eyes were closed, her head was thrown back, and every thrust elicited a light moan.

As he increased his pace, she bit her lip, then squeezed her legs tighter, pushing him farther inside her. Her hands grasped for something to hold, landing on his shoulders where her nails dig into his back. The harder she dig, the harder and deeper his hips penetrated her, which made her dig in even more. Now, her moan got louder, becoming almost a scream, her voice echoing off the walls of the room. Her body convulsed spasmodically, she clasped her arms together and yanked his head down to press her lips hard to his. But he wasn't done yet.

He pulled himself up onto his knees, and then flipped her over onto her hands and knees. She was still panting hard, but eagerly willing. He braced his feet, grabbed hold of her hips, and penetrated her again. This time, there was no warm up, no measured steps; they had found their rhythm and it was more powerful than he ever imagined.

This time, she entwined the sheets around her hands and through her fingers, seeking something tangible to brace against. He slapped her butt which causes her to yelp as her body spasmsed again and again. She was coming faster now and he could feel the heat rising from deep within his own body. It was only now that he realized he was making just as much noise as she was and that incomprehensible sound was helping her to come over and over. Suddenly his body seized up, he squeezed her hips hard, and came with her, both of them moaning out their pleasure. Both not wanting to yell out for fear of Roland hearing them.

He pulled out of her, and leaned forward to give her another kiss. As soon as their lips touched, they both collapsed onto the bed, panting hard. Robin pulled back her sweat streaked hair to see her smiling radiantly at him.

"I do love you, Regina," Robin said as he let his hand rub up and down the small of her back. "And our son."

He saw the smile fade from her face and moved one hand under her chin, "You still don't trust me?"

"It's just so hard to," Regina said.

"You trust me with your body," Robin said, "Do you trust me with our son?"

"Yes, I know you would never hurt him," Regina said.

"But you won't trust me with your heart?" Robin asked.

"I did before and I paid heavily for it," Regina said, her voice very bitter.


	12. Chapter 12

_**(A/N-Special thanks to Bekki boo for beta reading this. And to those who read, review, follow and fav.)**_

* * *

"I can't undo the past, if I could I would in a heartbeat. I lost my son and you in the process of my stupidity," Robin admitted as he watched her grab her robe and leave the bed. He pulled on some lounge pants and followed her to the window, standing beside her as she looked out.

"You're always good with words," Regina said defiantly as she turned to face him.

"Listen to me, please," Robin implored her. "I wake up in the mornings and you not being by my side to hold you, is torture. I love you, Regina. With my whole being, get to know the man I am today. Please don't hold my past mistakes made by another man who didn't have the common sense to see what he had right in front of him."

Robin had said he loved her, words she had longed to hear for so very long, and she couldn't believe it. She studied his handsome features, saw the strain in his blue eyes. But..."I don't believe you."

"I don't blame you. I know I treated you abominably in the past, and in the present. Maybe I should start at the beginning." He sounded unsure of himself, a first. "But please listen," he pleaded. "If I don't tell you now I might never have the nerve again."

"All right. I'm listening," she encouraged.

"I have loved you from the moment I saw you, Regina, but in my conceit I took your innocence, your love for granted, without giving anything in return."

"Not true, you gave me lots of jewelry," she said.

"Exactly my point-I gave something that cost me nothing in relation of my wealth and, as you so right said, was sleazy. But I never saw it like that. I only had to look at you to want you, still do." He tried to smile. "The months we were together were the happiest of my life, until tragedy struck and I handled it very badly. I only thought of myself, not how you were feeling. But I never meant to leave you. My father had a heart attack."

"I know, Charles told me," she murmured

"Yes, well you can't use a cellphone in Intensive Care so I gave mine to Lisa and told her to call you and tell you I'd be delayed."

"She didn't call me. I called her," Regina said. "She was very sympathetic and told me she was used to getting rid of your women. She said you had told her to inform me you were not coming back and advised me to leave."

"She _what_?" His eyes grew large with outrage. "She never got rid of a woman for me in her life, I got rid of her, for years ago, when I belatedly realized she wanted to be more than my PA. And I certainly never asked her to tell you to leave, she told me you wanted to go."

"Going over the past is pointless," Regina said with a shake of her head. "Let's be honest, you could have found me if you had really wanted to. You had no trouble finding me recently," she said bluntly. "Charles told me you wanted to marry me before, but we both know it would not have been for love but because of the baby." She wasn't going to trust his avowal of love so easily.

"I deserve that, but it isn't the real truth." His blue eyes held hers. There was a vulnerability in those eyes that had never been there before, his complexion was deepening into what looked like a blush. "I didn't look for you because I was an emotional coward. When I returned to the apartment and you had gone I told myself it was for the best that you had moved on, but it meant I did not have to face how badly I really felt. I also felt guilty because you had just lost the baby."

"You felt guilty?" Regina asked. "Why?"

"Because for the first time in my adult life I panicked when you told me you were pregnant. When I got over the shock I knew I wanted to marry you and not just for the baby, but I'm ashamed to say I was in no hurry to tell you. Then, when I got to the hospital and the doctor told me you had lost the baby, he also gave me a few words of caution. He said he had noticed bruises on your thighs and a few other places, and that it would be a good idea to tone down the sex a little, especially if you got pregnant again. He said I could go in and see you. I walked into your room, totally disgusted with myself and feeling as guilty as hell. I might have caused you to lose the baby."

Regina's head was reeling. His confession had come totally out of the blue. The look of disgust on his face as he had entered her hospital room had haunted her for years, but it had never been for her, as she had first thought, but at himself. A spark of hope ignited in her heart. Maybe he did love her.

Suddenly she was incensed on Roland's behalf. "The doctor should never had told you that. The way we made love had nothing to do with him, and I enjoyed every moment. It certainly was not your fault that I lost the baby."

For a second his eyes sparkled with a trace of his usual arrogance. "Maybe not, but along with Lisa's meddling it gave me another convenient excuse for not trying to find you. Because, being honest, I realized it was a relief as well. I always like to be in control, and what I felt for you terrified me. Our relationship was the longest I had ever had, I only had to think of you to want you with an ache that would not go away. I told myself it was just lust, but deep down I knew I was only fooling myself. I loved everything about you, your breathtaking smile, your quick enquiring mind. " His blue eyes seemed to see right into her soul. "The soft avowals of love you gave so freely. I'd give anything to hear them again."

Regina gave him a tentative smile, but still wasn't sure she believed him.

"I panicked for the second time in my life when Mikhailov took you from me." His hands tightened on hers and stared up at him. The planes and angles of his face were taut, and she wondered what was coming next to make him so tense. "Because I finally admitted to myself that I love you, Regina, and only you. I could not bear the thought of losing you, I could not go through that pain again. I want to be the man you need, the one you turn to when you need someone."

He let go of her hands, and leaning over her, clasped her face between his palms. His blue eyes looked deep into her wary dark ones.

"You have to believe me, Regina. I love you." He pleaded. "I never even looked at another woman for over two years after you left." His hands slid down to her shoulders, his fingers flexing in her bare skin, and she shivered but Robin did not seem to notice.

"That, I find hard to believe," Regina murmured. Robin was a man who had a high sex drive, but she was flattered at the thought, and the spark of hope burned brighter with every word he said.

"It is absolutely true. I swear, but I know you don't trust me, how could you after the way I have treated you? The moment I saw you again, I was determined to get you back. I could have flattened Hatter when he kissed you."

She recognized jealously in his eyes, "That is all Jefferson ever did," she told him. Honesty cut both ways.

"Thank you for that," he acknowledged and continued, "That day I found out about Roland I was angry and I blamed you, but it was my own fault because I had wasted five years denying how I truly felt. Regina, I know I don't deserve you, and I'm not asking you to love me, only to stay with me and let me prove to you the man I can be. Please give me another chance. Please let me make up for my stupid mistakes. I want nothing more than to spend my life with you, as your husband."

Regina lifted her hand, and this time she did sweep the few strands of hair from his brow. Robin pleading for her love was something she had never imagined, and her heart was filled with love. But did she trust him? Could she trust him?

"I said my father was a silly old fool for keeping his promise to my mother. But now I know exactly how he feels. I love you. I adore you, I worship the ground you walk on, and I am the biggest fool for being a coward and not admitting it sooner. And if the answer is no," his hands tightened on her shoulders and he looked like a man going to the gallows, "I will give you and Roland your freedom. You can return to your home and I will be a visiting father." He grimaced as he could not imagine his life now without Regina and Roland in his day to day life. "Like you said, some things are unconscionable and I can do no less."

"You won't have to." She took a leap of faith and trusted Robin with her heart, "I do love you, Robin and I always have," Regina confessed, her eyes inexplicably filling with tears as elation flooded through her. She gave him a beautiful smile. Robin loved her. "If you remember, I used to tell you that all the time, too naive to hide my feelings," she declared, and it was there for him to see in the brilliant dark eyes blazing into his. "Nothing has changed, I loved you then, and I love you now."

"Regina, if you only knew how I longed to hear you say those words again," Robin murmured throatily, and he kissed her almost reverently, with love and a deep, soulful passion that touched her heart and melted her bones.

A long moment later he lifted his head. "You have made me the happiest man alive." He looked into her gleaming dark eyes, his own burning clear. "Do you remember you once gave me a gold heart? Well, I have cherished it for years. It is my lucky charm and it always gave me hope."

She watched speechless as he pulled out the golden trinket, it was now on a chain. It gave her even more hope than she could imagine. "Of course I remember it."

He smiled and kissed her brow. "Now you have gifted me with your true heart, and for that I am eternally grateful. I will love, cherish and protect you till my dying day." He kissed her again.

In moments she was beneath him, his clothes off and her robe removed. Naked, he smiled down at her, his eyes full of humor and love, "Now for the worship and adoration," he murmured.

They started to make love with a slow, aching tenderness, stroking, sighing, and murmuring soft words of love and need. Robin finally thrust into her sleek, welcoming body and they came together in a meeting of body and mind, two soulmates becoming one in a walk, wonderful climax.

As they laid there, Regina lifted her hand to run her fingers down his cheek and then curved her slender arm lovingly around his neck. Robin kissed her lightly on the lips. "With us together now, the place does not matter. All that matters is that I am with our son, and the woman I love with all my heart, now and always."

**********************************Several weeks later**********************************

"Happy?" Robin asked as Regina turned laughing eyes up to her new husband.

"I've never been happier," Regina answered.

Regina looked radiant. He had not the words to do justice to her beauty, inside and out. Her hair, dark as midnight, was perfect with loose waves that shimmered down her back. The wedding dress she wore fitted her shapely body like a glove. It was a Pnina Tornai Ivory lace gown with v-neckline and long sleeves, the back was out and low. Robin had insisted on a huge wedding in a church followed by a party with their family and friends to celebrate in their happiness.

Regina was the love of his life. She was his life, he had been lost without her all those years that they were separated, all his fault, but he wasn't going to spend another day without her in his life.

"The church service was beautiful. You were right to insist on it," Regina said. She was so happy today. Her husband had opened up to her in a way she would never have thought possible a few months ago. He had shed a few tears as she had whispered in his ear what she had just learned a few days ago.

They were going to make Roland a big brother. He had told her that he loved her, about the hundredth time today alone. Reaching up, she ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him. "I love you, wife," Robin murmured when they came up for air. "Roland is upstairs asleep with the sitter watching over him. Let's leave now, and I'll show you how much."

Regina pulled back. "I love you too, husband." A slow, sensuous smile curved her lips, and there was an evil gleam in her dark eyes. "We can't leave our guests." She teased him. "Don't you dare, Robin," she said as he hauled her close. He had laughed when she had told him about the no sex plan she had on marrying him. And he'd been stunned when she hadn't told him until she was nearly three months pregnant again because she hadn't wanted him to become and over protective husband. He had been humbled and overwhelmed with the love he had for her. Regina, his wife, the mother of his children, filled his heart and his life with so much love and joy that he thanked god every day that he had found her and more importantly, that she had forgiven his pig headed way that he had treated her in the past.

But sometimes the caveman came out of him, like now. And sweeping Regina up in his arms, he carried her out of the ballroom, to the cheers and laughter of the family and all their guests.

He had what he hadn't know he had always wanted.

A family.

 **The End.**


End file.
